C. Diff Case Studies

Clostridium difficile associated disease will resolve when the patient discontinues taking the antibiotics to which he/she has been previously exposed (Nipa, 2010). Administration of a different antibiotic is used to treat the infection (Grossman, 2010). The infection can usually be treated with an appropriate course of about 10 days of antibiotics including metronidazole or vancomycin administered orally (Nipa, 2010). On occasion intravenous vancomycin may be necessary (Gould, 2010). The nurse should ensure patients are not only taking the newly prescribed antibiotic, but also responding to the treatment by showing a decrease in symptoms. Symptoms can recur despite antibiotic therapy, close monitoring is essential. In order to avoid risk of further complications, nursing interventions would include careful assessment of white blood cell count, temperature, and hydration status; meticulous skin care and assistance with bowel elimination given the loose frequent stools; and management of abdominal discomfort (Grossman, 2010).

Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive bacterium which causes diarrhoea. It also known as antibiotic associated diarrhoea and also pseudomembranous colitis. The bacterium secretes large protein toxin that also causes toxic mega colon. Clostridium difficile is caused by when a person is given one of the following antibiotics: Cephalosporin, penicillin (particularly Ampicillin or Amoxicillin), Clindamycin and Fluoroquinolone. The antibiotic will remove the entire normal flora in the colon. The lack of normal flora will make the person vulnerable to infection especially to Clostridium difficile because Clostridium difficile produces hardy spores

The primary problem is the patient is having severe dehydration due to excessively having loose liquidly stools for the past two days caused by C. Diff.

Clostridium difficile is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, rod-shaped bacillus that is renowned for being the leading cause of hospital-acquired diarrhea in adult patients. C. difficile is present as normal intestinal flora within 3% to 5% of healthy people2, while its spores are ubiquitous in the environment, especially in hospital settings. It grows at an optimal temperature and pH of 37ºC and 6.5–7.5 respectively.1 It is an obligate anaerobic as it thrives in the absence of oxygen. It is highly motile with the presence of peritrichous flagella, which are evenly spread out along its surface. As briefly mentioned above, this evolving pathogen produces endospores. The bacterium produces dormant spores, which are extremely hardy and resistant to antibiotics, the host’s innate immune system, and once shed into the environment through the host’s feces, they are resistant to unfavorable aerobic conditions3 as well as several types of bleach-free disinfectants, which are commonly used in hospitals.3 The spores will germinate under the favorable conditions of the intestinal tract, resulting in the multiplication of vegetative cells, colonizing in the gastrointestinal tract. The vegetative cells release two powerful exotoxins upon adherence to the epithelial cells of the GI tract. Pathogenic strains of C. difficile produce two exotoxins: toxin A and toxin B. Toxin A is an enterotoxin that causes fluid excretion, resulting in fluid accumulation and watery diarrhea. Toxin B is a potent

Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacillus. Since the turn of the 21st century, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of nosocomial infections associated with antibiotic exposure and an increase in the severity of the disease. Challenges of disease containment include emerging risk factors and recurrence. In 2008 the acute care costs, not including the economic burden placed outside of the hospital, was estimated to be around $4.8 billion in the US. As such, it has become clear that preventative measures are needed to monitor and reduce the risk of infection and recurrence.

Many Americans die each year from complications connected to Clostridium difficile. It can ill a significant number of individuals as well as animals. The Clostridium difficile infection is the result of poor hygiene, misuse, overuse of antibiotics and an aging population. In this paper I will be discussing the following topics, what clostridium difficile means, what it causes, signs and symptoms, complications, treatment and the prevention.

Clostridium Difficile (C-Diff) is considered one of the most common infections a patient can acquire within their hospital stay. It is estimated that C-Diff is responsible for 337,000 infections and 14,000 deaths a year (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2012). Working in the emergency department (ED), I have witness first hand how debilitating this gastrointestinal infection can be. Patients are admitted to the ED for having severe watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. Elderly patients are at increase risk for sepsis and dehydration related to recurrent infections. Appropriate management and education of C-Diff is optimal for patient survival and decrease contamination across lifespan.

Scientist want to know how they can treat clostridium difficile using human feces. Currently some physicians are using nasal tubes to run to patients intestines feeding them healthy microbes via enemas. Different scientist are finding other ways to treat clostridium difficile by using human feces in a pill that can be delivered to the intestines. This is very beneficial for patients that can not use the direct nasal tube.

Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that infects humans, animals, water, soil, feces and food products. Clostridium difficile also known as C. diff or C. difficile is an asymptomatic infection due to the spore-forming bacterium which causes inflammation of the colon. C. diff is very contagious; it is a microorganism that can be spread from person to person by touch or direct contact. Symptoms with severe infections cause watery diarrhea ten to fifteen times a day, rapid heart rate, blood or pus in stool, dehydration, kidney failure, increased white cell count and, abdominal cramping. Symptoms with mild to moderate infections cause watery diarrhea three to more times a day and abdominal cramping. Approximal half a million people get infected with C. diff each year in the United States.

The healthcare professional can expect to encounter various conditions within their scope of experience. Clostridium difficile represents one of the most common and challenging nosocomial infections that can cause life-threatening complications such as hypervolemia, sepsis, pain, and peritonitis (Grossman and Mager 155). The recognition, diagnosis, treatment and inhibition of transmission of this bacterium are imperative in order to limit infection and prevent death.

Clostridium Difficile also known as C-Diff is a bacterial infection of the gastrointestinal tract of the human body. C-Diff is a gram positive bacillus, which is spore forming. C-Diff is one of the many superbug that health care workers and hospitals battle. There is a very large push by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to educate on hand hygiene and room decontamination for patients that have tested positive for C-Diff in a health care setting. This is because the spread of the disease is through the fecal-oral route, and with spores being able to live on contaminated surfaces for a long period of time.

Abstract in Abstract in principle, yet individually quantifiable, nationalism swept through 18th and 19th century global populations, igniting the fire for some of the most significant and revolutionary changes of the time. During the period, eons’ old hierarchal systems found themselves closeted, as novel enlightenment principles were bred and spread throughout the world. Kingdoms fell, borders were redrawn, and ultimately, nationalism led to the worldwide adoption of a new sense of individual identity, no longer associated with kings and queens. Full embracement of the nationalistic revolution benefited individuals and nations alike, eliciting feelings of pride in its practitioners, while uniting individuals in invisible and powerful communities, resulting in the forward progression of society.

Most of the public have heard of broad-spectrum drugs, especially in terms of antibiotic resistance, because they fight a wide range of bacteria but also kills normal flora in the gut (Haddox, 2013). The loss of this gut flora can lead to an abnormal growth of harmful bacteria such as clostridium difficile (C-Diff). The four “C” antibiotics that have a high risk for patient to develop C-diff are clindamycin, cephalosporins, coamoxiclav, and ciprofloxacin (Haddox, 2013). These antibiotics have the highest risk of leading to C-diff development, however all antibiotics increase a patient’s likelihood of a C-diff infection. This effect can last up to 12 weeks post antibiotic administration (Haddox, 2013).

Media surrounds us, it makes up a substantial part of our modern lives, and we rely on it for almost all of the information we encounter. There are two main types of news sites; corporate and independent. With corporate news we see things through a lens, whether it be for better or for worse. Facts can be twisted, information left out, and the truth made unclear. Independent news is usually more reliable for the whole truth, but this is not always the case. With independent news, we run the risk of reading news through the eyes of a single, possibly prejudiced writer, one who distorts the truth or has uncertain facts to begin with. For example, the recent event of the 2016 shooting in Louisiana and the response to protests can be used to provide a great display of how corporate and independent news sites differ. It can be used to show that certain news sites we and many others rely on can often be inaccurate and provide false information to the general populace to cover bureaucratic and private interest agendas, but can also be used to further personal knowledge and promote self-growth.

The globalization can trigger various reactions if brought up in a conversation. Globalization represents progress, economic growth, and hope for a better future; however, critics point out the greed, exploitation, and corruption of globalization. This diversity of views is possibly due to the fact that globalization is inherently complex and involves different economic and social degrees at various national and global levels. Understanding globalization, therefore, requires one to see how all of these factors interrelate and influence each other. Peter and Robyn have done a wonderful job explaining the Globalization in reference to the environment. Peter Christoff teaches environmental and climate policy in the Department of Resource Management and Geography at the University of Melbourne. Robyn Eckersley teaches global environmental politics and international relations in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne. There are four main elements Peter and Robyn discuss throughout this book—one planet, many globalizations, Globalization and Overheated Planet, Biodiversity, and Failure of governance.