How to Prevent Clostridium Difficile Infections
Do not depend on anti-diarrheal (AD) pills (e.g., Get toxins out: You may need to pass BMs (bowel movements) 6, 8,10 or more times per day to get the toxins out -- while being treated with special antibiotics that can eliminate C-Diff (more in the...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Do not depend on anti-diarrheal (AD) pills (e.g.
: "Imodium AD").
Do not try that for more than 3 days, because that retains toxins from C-Diff.
You might think the anti-diarrheal is helping but you may become drowsy, dizzy, nauseated and lose your appetite.
Eventually the toxin can damage various systems (kidneys, liver) and your feet may swell and you may retain several liters of fluid in the body cavity (called "third spacing") because of toxin caused by this diarrhea not being excreted/being held in the body by your AD med. ,, Antibiotics will have zero impact in treating a viral infection, so your doctor will not advise that you take antibiotics if you have a viral infection such as the flu.
Caution: cases of Clostridium difficile almost always arise when you are already taking antibiotics for another illness.
It is the taking of the antibiotics that predisposes your alimentary canal (gut) to "bad bacteria"
making it susceptible to developing Clostridium difficile and C-dificille-colitis. "Difficile" is Latin for difficult (to cure).
When you take antibiotics (for a prior illness), they are often effective at treating that illness; however, the antibiotics also kill off many of the good bacteria in your intestine, which normally have a protective effect.
With many of the good bacteria gone, your gut is less protected and you become susceptible to a Clostridium difficile infection.
If you do have a serious bacterial infection requiring antibiotics, however, it is important that you follow through with treatment.
Untreated bacterial infection can lead to blood poisoning (sepsis), and inflammation clogging small blood vessels, even gangrene (deadtissue).
Do not stop antibiotic treatment in the hopes of preventing Clostridium difficile, because minor bacterial infections can become major and be life-threatening. , Although metronidazole is not designated by the FDA for C. difficile infection, it has been shown in use to be effective in mild to moderate infection.
Side effects of metronidazole include nausea and a bitter taste in your mouth.For more severe and recurrent cases, vancomycin (Vancocin), also taken by mouth, may be prescribed.
Another oral antibiotic, fidaxomicin (Dificid), has been approved to treat C. difficile.
In one study, the recurrence rate of C. difficile in people who took fidaxomicin was lower than among those who took vancomycin.
However, fidaxomicin costs much more than metronidazole (Flagyl) and vancomycin.
Common side effects of vancomycin and fidaxomicin (Dificid) include abdominal pain and nausea.
Your doctor will help to guide you as to when continuing antibiotics are beneficial for you to take, and when they are not/and need to stop., One of the highest risk areas are healthcare facilities, due to the larger number of cases of Clostridium difficile that occur in places such as hospitals, as well as the length of time that spores can survive on surfaces.
Especially if you are in a hospital or other healthcare setting, be sure to wash your hands regularly.
Wash with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
Alcohol-based hand rubs/fluids are ineffective.Bleach wipes containing
0.55% sodium hypochlorite have been shown to kill the spores and prevent transmission between patients.Installing lidded toilets and closing the lid prior to flushing also reduces the risk of contamination., If a family member, a friend, or another person in a healthcare facility contracts diarrhea, it is key to avoid sharing the same space as them until the cause of their diarrhea is confirmed.
Their diarrhea could be due to Clostridium difficile, which is highly contagious, or to other highly contagious gastrointestinal illnesses, none of which you want to catch.
Keeping in your own separate space and avoiding shared objects can help you to prevent a Clostridium difficile infection or another unwanted illness. , See your doctor any time you have severe diarrhea, with fever, painful abdominal cramps, and possibly with mucus, blood or pus in your stool. -
Step 2: Get toxins out: You may need to pass BMs (bowel movements) 6
-
Step 3: 10 or more times per day to get the toxins out -- while being treated with special antibiotics that can eliminate C-Diff (more in the "Treatment" section).
-
Step 4: Do not take antibiotics unnecessarily.Due to the risk that antibiotics put you at for developing Clostridium difficile
-
Step 5: it is important to take them only when they are needed.
-
Step 6: Expect
-
Step 7: with mild to moderate infection with C-Diff
-
Step 8: doctors may prescribe a special antibiotic such as metronidazole (Flagyl)
-
Step 9: taken by mouth (or by IV if in the hospital).
-
Step 10: Wash your hands regularly.One of the main ways in which Clostridium difficile infections are caught is by touching surfaces that are contaminated with spores from the bacteria.
-
Step 11: Avoid sharing the same home-/work-space and surfaces with someone who has diarrhea.
-
Step 12: Contact your doctor to prevent establishing C-Diff and C-dificille-colitis
-
Step 13: even if the diarrhea is relatively mild when you are currently taking or have recently taken antibiotics and you develop diarrhea.
Detailed Guide
: "Imodium AD").
Do not try that for more than 3 days, because that retains toxins from C-Diff.
You might think the anti-diarrheal is helping but you may become drowsy, dizzy, nauseated and lose your appetite.
Eventually the toxin can damage various systems (kidneys, liver) and your feet may swell and you may retain several liters of fluid in the body cavity (called "third spacing") because of toxin caused by this diarrhea not being excreted/being held in the body by your AD med. ,, Antibiotics will have zero impact in treating a viral infection, so your doctor will not advise that you take antibiotics if you have a viral infection such as the flu.
Caution: cases of Clostridium difficile almost always arise when you are already taking antibiotics for another illness.
It is the taking of the antibiotics that predisposes your alimentary canal (gut) to "bad bacteria"
making it susceptible to developing Clostridium difficile and C-dificille-colitis. "Difficile" is Latin for difficult (to cure).
When you take antibiotics (for a prior illness), they are often effective at treating that illness; however, the antibiotics also kill off many of the good bacteria in your intestine, which normally have a protective effect.
With many of the good bacteria gone, your gut is less protected and you become susceptible to a Clostridium difficile infection.
If you do have a serious bacterial infection requiring antibiotics, however, it is important that you follow through with treatment.
Untreated bacterial infection can lead to blood poisoning (sepsis), and inflammation clogging small blood vessels, even gangrene (deadtissue).
Do not stop antibiotic treatment in the hopes of preventing Clostridium difficile, because minor bacterial infections can become major and be life-threatening. , Although metronidazole is not designated by the FDA for C. difficile infection, it has been shown in use to be effective in mild to moderate infection.
Side effects of metronidazole include nausea and a bitter taste in your mouth.For more severe and recurrent cases, vancomycin (Vancocin), also taken by mouth, may be prescribed.
Another oral antibiotic, fidaxomicin (Dificid), has been approved to treat C. difficile.
In one study, the recurrence rate of C. difficile in people who took fidaxomicin was lower than among those who took vancomycin.
However, fidaxomicin costs much more than metronidazole (Flagyl) and vancomycin.
Common side effects of vancomycin and fidaxomicin (Dificid) include abdominal pain and nausea.
Your doctor will help to guide you as to when continuing antibiotics are beneficial for you to take, and when they are not/and need to stop., One of the highest risk areas are healthcare facilities, due to the larger number of cases of Clostridium difficile that occur in places such as hospitals, as well as the length of time that spores can survive on surfaces.
Especially if you are in a hospital or other healthcare setting, be sure to wash your hands regularly.
Wash with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds.
Alcohol-based hand rubs/fluids are ineffective.Bleach wipes containing
0.55% sodium hypochlorite have been shown to kill the spores and prevent transmission between patients.Installing lidded toilets and closing the lid prior to flushing also reduces the risk of contamination., If a family member, a friend, or another person in a healthcare facility contracts diarrhea, it is key to avoid sharing the same space as them until the cause of their diarrhea is confirmed.
Their diarrhea could be due to Clostridium difficile, which is highly contagious, or to other highly contagious gastrointestinal illnesses, none of which you want to catch.
Keeping in your own separate space and avoiding shared objects can help you to prevent a Clostridium difficile infection or another unwanted illness. , See your doctor any time you have severe diarrhea, with fever, painful abdominal cramps, and possibly with mucus, blood or pus in your stool.
About the Author
Jean Collins
A passionate writer with expertise in creative arts topics. Loves sharing practical knowledge.
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