Clostridium Diarrhea In Hospitals

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

Health care providers and visitors are required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) and follow strict hand hygiene procedures. Contaminated rooms, surfaces, and laundry items are properly disinfected to prevent the spread of MRSA. In addition to policy and procedures, patient teaching is also helpful for preventing exposure and spread of MRSA. As aforementioned earlier, hand hygiene is key to prevent exposer or transmission of the bacteria. To properly wash your hand effectively, first scrub hands rapidly for at least 15 seconds. Next, use a disposable towel to dry them and another towel to turn off the faucet. In addition, hand sanitizer that contains 62 percent or more of alcohol may be an adequate substitute when the individual does not have access to soap and water (Mayo Clinic Staff,

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 spore-forming and strict anaerobe gram-positive bacillus [4], capable of excreting pathogenic toxins, as discussed below [3]. This spore forming ability is a method of bacterial persistence within the human body. C. difficile is able to resist and survive a variable environment when various other microbes cannot. Three important factors affecting the risk of CDI include the use of antibiotics, length of hospital-environment exposure and age [1]. The use of broad range antibiotics affects the composition and lively-hood of normal

Ingestion of the endospore causes infection. Once it reaches the preferred anaerobic environment of the gut, the endospores germinate and begin releasing toxins A and B (Burns & Minton 2011). The presence of C. difficile does not necessarily mean infection. A patient can be positive for C. difficile but have normal stool, which means there is colonization without infection. Patients who have the C. difficile pathogen without experiencing any symptoms allow it to be passed along undetected which contributes to the ongoing spread to others. Only when toxin A and toxin B are released at suitable levels does C. difficile become pathogenic to humans. Once infected, typical symptoms include watery diarrhea, abdominal pain, colitis, fever, and fecal leukocytes. Moderate to severe Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) consist of profuse diarrhea, abdominal distention, leukocytosis, systemic inflammatory response, pseudomembranous colitis, megacolon and death (Sunenshine & McDonald, 2006). With the combination of a highly resilient endospores, and asymptomatic carriers, this allows C. difficile to persist in the environment and spread to patients with compromised immune systems, or older patients who have a high risk of contracting CDI with a higher severity than healthy adults (Laffan, Bellantoni, Greenough, Zenilman, 2006).

These single celled tube-like organism finds a home in the gut of every human during their lifetime. If the person affected does not have the proper bacterial flora to balance Clostridium difficle, the bacteria will manifest itself. The bacteria produces a toxin that breaks down the outer and inner linings of the small and large intestine causing the condition, Clostridium difficle Colitis. The impaired intestine will cause the body to have up to 20 bowel movements a day. The bowel matter will eventually turn to water and blood, causing extreme malnourishment and dehydration. The bacterial infection, if not intervened will cause morbidity. According to Roos (2015), the CDC reported there are half- million cases and thirty-thousand deaths each year in the United States. Clostridium difficle is one of the world’s leading causes of deaths in assisted living facilities (Roos,

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.

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.

difficile is a member of the domain Bacteria which consist of prokaryotic microorgaisms. C. difficile taxonomy is phylum Firmicutes, class Clostridia, order Clostridiales, family Peptostreptococcaceae, and species difficile (Brymer, 2007). C. difficile is a spore-forming, gram positive, anaerobic bacillus. Most strains are motile because of flagella. C. difficile has its resilience toward heat, environmental conditions and most disinfectants. Once a surface has been contaminated with spores of C. difficile they can live for months. Some risk factors for C. difficile are GI surgery, antimicrobial exposure, old age, immunocompromised conditions, serious illness, and long length of stay in any healthcare setting. There are three levels of C. difficile. It can be mild, severe, or

The gastrointestinal tract is home to up 1,000 species of microorganisms! Most of these organisms are harmless and even aid the body in normal circumstances, but when the balances of these organisms become upset the once harmless bacteria can grow ramped and make you sick. Ratini (2015) states that one of the worst attackers is a bacterium called Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) . As this bacterium grows out of control, it releases toxins that attack the lining of the intestines, which causes a condition called Clostridium difficile colitis. Although this bacterium is more rare than other intestinal bacteria, C. difficile is one of the most popular causes of infectious diarrhea in the U.S. C. difficile infection can range from causing minor discomfort to life-threatening. Ratini (2015) also says some symptoms of mild cases include watery diarrhea; three or more times a day for several days, with abdominal pain or tenderness. In more severe cases, C. difficile infection symptoms include watery diarrhea, up to 15 times a day, severe abdominal pain, loss of appetite, fever, blood in stool, and weight loss. In some rare cases, C. difficile leads to a hole in the intestines, which can be fatal if it is not treated. C. difficile can be diagnosed by analyzing stool in the specimens tested for the toxins. Ratini (2015) says that in rare cases, a colonoscopy may be required to ensure that one is actually suffering from C. difficile infection.

Clostridium difficile, also known as C. diff, is a bacterium that causes severe symptoms, including inflammation of the colon, which can be life threatening (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). It is a very common infection that affects hundreds of thousands in the United States alone. If not caught and treated early, it can be deadly. I kills thousands of people in the United States every year (Mayo Clinic Staff, 2017). It is extremely important to learn the signs and symptoms of this infection so treatment can begin as early as possible.

Clostridium Difficile, or C. diff, is a common occurrence in hospitals. But how does one know that they are in fact dealing with a patient with C. diff and not just diarrhea? It all lies in the symptoms. C. diff diarrhea has a distinct odor. The patient also feels a constant urgency, a need to always go to the restroom. The stool contains mucous. Beyond that, most patients will present with a low grade fever, mild leukocytosis, hyperactive bowel sounds, and mild abdominal tenderness. (Headly, 461)

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or more commonly, MRSA, is an emerging infectious disease affecting many people worldwide. MRSA, in particular, is a very interesting disease because although many people can be carriers of it, it generally only affects those with a depressed immune system; this is why it is so prevalent in places like nursing homes and hospitals. It can be spread though surgeries, artificial joints, tubing, and skin-to-skin contact. Although there is not one specific treatment of this disease, there are ways to test what antibiotics work best and sometimes antibiotics aren’t even necessary.

The priority nursing diagnosis of hospital acquired infection is risk for any kind of infection. One of the main goals for each patient in the hospital is the patient will remain free of infection as evidence by absence of heat, pain, redness, or swelling in any area of the patient’s body during each nurse’s shift. (care plan book). Frequently hand washing is the best intervention for preventing infection. Hand washing reduces the risk of transmission of pathogens by inhibiting the growth of or killing the microorganisms. (cb)Proper sterile technique during urinary