C. Diff Research Paper

The Dred Scott Decision of 1857 ruled that African-Americans, even ones who were not enslaved, were not protected under The Constitution and could never be citizens. This brings up questions that will be answered in this paper. Should slaves be American citizens? Is it morally correct for one to own another human? Does the Dred Scott decision contradict The Declaration of Independence which states that every man is created equal?

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 (C. diff) is a type of bacterium that can cause a person to endure diarrhea like symptoms to more drastic symptoms that may involve inflammation of the colon. Most people who come across C. diff are expected to be in a hospital setting for an extensive period of time. It is more accessible to acquire C. diff when a person is of old age, in a hospital setting, and taking antibiotic medication (Mayo Clinic, 2016). Normally, one would think that taking antibiotics would not cause any harm to the body, but would instead help the body fight off diseases. However, once a person who has been taking antibiotics for a long period of time stops taking them, such as in a nursing home or hospital setting, that person can develop some reactions in the absence of those antibiotics (Bartlett, 2012). This reaction, then allows the person to experience diarrhea symptoms, which lead to inflammation of the colon and more drastic colon problems.

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 (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.

Clostridium difficile also known as C-diff is a pathogen. According to Doctor Michelle Wright, It lives harmlessly in the gut of many people. About three in hundred healthy adults and as many as seven in ten healthy babies have a number of c difficile bacteria living in their gut (2015). Healthy people normally have a certain number of c-diff bacterium living in their gut, but this bacterium is usually kept in check by all the other harmless bacteria that lives in our gastrointestinal tract. Clostridium difficile

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.

Clostridium difficile involves a gram-positive spore-forming bacterium, which is a normal element of the colon flora in people. The Clostridium difficile can cause antibiotic-associated diarrhea when the competing bacteria in the gut flora are all killed by antibiotic treatment. The Clostridium difficile infection is one of the serious healthcare-related infection and also a rising health care problem. In the early 1970s, the Clostridium difficile has been known to have the ability to cause pseudomembranous colitis. As stated, the infection is the most cause of nosocomial infectious diarrhea (Aktories & Wilkins, 2000). Individuals that are colonized with clostridium difficile serve as the reservoir for infection and this is by contaminating the environment with spores of such bacteria. This will lead to the spread of the organism on the health care worker’s hands or even through the use of medical equipment. In this paper, we are going to focus on the effective prevention strategies for clostridium difficile. What are the effective prevention strategies for clostridium difficile?

C. difficile is a Gram-positive obligate anaerobic or microaerophilic, rod-shaped bacterium. It is found in nature in water, air, human and animal feces, on most surfaces (especially in hospitals) and most prevalently in soil. C. difficile causes mild to severe diarrhea and intestinal conditions like inflammation of the colon (pseudomembranous colitis). C. difficile is the most frequent cause of infectious diarrhea in hospitals and long-term care facilities in the U.S. and many other nations. C. difficile is found in some healthy people but is not a major constituent of the microflora in colons of healthy adults but can grow to large populations in people that are treated with antibiotics, especially broad-spectrum antibiotics. This is because the antibiotics kill off the

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 article “C. diff always linked to health care,” was written by H. LeWine (2012). The article describes how Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is transmitted because it produces spores that are found in all healthcare settings whether, hospital, nursing homes or doctor's offices. C. diff can cause cramping, diarrhea, fever, and nausea to transpire. Spores can live on your hands and surfaces. Oral-fecal contamination is a common route of infection. Wash your hands well after visiting the bathroom, alcohol based sanitizers will not kill the spores, the best prevention is using traditional methods of soap and water. Surfaces cleaned with non-alcohol based disinfectants. Spores may be difficult to remove from hands even with hand washing, faithfulness to glove use, and contact precautions should are highlighted for preventing C. diff transmission.

The rate of costridium difficile infection has increased in both hospital and community settings during the last two decades. The main caused of C. difficle is inappropriate use of antibiotic usage. Doctors are prescribing antibiotics for virus related SXS and environmental factors. The first step to treating C. difficile is stop taking the antibiotic that triggered the infection. For severe and recurrent cases Doctors usually prescribe Vancomycin according to the CDC. This antibiotic is gradually tapered dose given once every few days. If the antibiotic does not work and C. difficle caused damage to organs and interfere with electrolyte balance than surgery can be done to remove the part of the intestine that is damaged. Another way to treat

Hello Kee. Your topic seems to be noteworthy! I find it interesting how probiotics can help decrease the incidence of C. diff. infection and I look forward to seeing the result of your lit review! It would be great to know that the evidence-based research studies could guide us as care providers in terms of educating our patients about the significance of these dietary supplements to reduce the prevalence of the C. diff. infection. This infection is a huge deal in health care! It causes approximately 500, 000 illnesses in one year, C, diff comes back at least once in 20 percent of the patients who had this infection previously, and it causes fatalities of 15,000 in a year (CDC, n.d.).

C. difficile is a hard to kill, gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming bacterium. Spores can survive on environmental surfaces for months. C. difficile spores are naturally present in the gut of about 3% of adults and 50% of children (Headley, 2012, p. 461).

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).