The Pervasive Nature Of Clostridium Difficile And Its Relationship With Inadequate Health Care Practices

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).

This paper will mainly explain what Clostridium difficile is, its causal agent, epidemiology, ways of transmission, some clinical features, diagnoses and how to test for the bacterium, treatment, prognosis, and preventative measures. There are treatments available for this

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.

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, a nosocomial pathogen, is of critical importance. By 2010 it was the most prevalent healthcare-related pathogen globally [1], accounting for 20-30% of antibiotic-associated diarrheal cases in healthcare settings [2]. Symptoms of C. difficile infection (CDI) are significant and include severe diarrhea and dehydration. In more serious cases, CDI can result in pseudomembranous colitis, bowel perforation, sepsis and even death [3, 4].Beyond serious impact upon patients, CDI is costing multiple billions of dollars in hospital care in the United States alone [5]. Clearly the need exists to identify and characterize the infection and toxicity pathways of C. difficile.

Clostridium difficile infection is a suprainfection cause by prolong use of antibiotics. Board spectrum antibiotic such as Penicillins, clindamycin, and cephalosporins are the antimicrobial drugs most commonly associated with C difficile colitis. According to Owens, in his research, C. difficile is primarily acquired in hospitals. Spread by spores, it can colonize a patient’s gut after helpful gut bacteria are killed by antibiotics. Its toxins can cause severe diarrhea and colitis, and it can be fatal (Owens 2013). On the other hand Kim in his research agreed clostridium difficile infection has been considered a hospital-acquired infection. However, a recent population-based study found 41% of CDIs were actually community acquired. It is becoming apparent that community acquired CDI affects populations previously thought to be at low risk; younger patients and patients who had no exposure to antibiotics in the 12 weeks before the infection. Thus, it is necessary to advocate and teach patient about

Clostridium difficile, or C. difficile for short, are words that every healthcare worker hates to hear that their patient has, or may potentially have. This spore forming bacterium has significant healthcare-associated infection potential. An especially virulent strain has affected health care facilities throughout the U.S. and North America in the past few years. What C. difficile is, its symptoms, how it is transmitted, and the prevention transmission are important issues to all healthcare workers. These questions and issues will be covered in this paper.

In 2011, there was an estimated 450,000 cases of Clostridium difficile infections in the United States. Of these cases, 83,000 were first occurrence cases and 29,300 cases resulted in death. The main method of transmission of C- diff is referred to as a nosocomial infection, which are infections that are acquired while admitted to a healthcare facility, such as a hospital or skilled nursing facility. There are several risk factors that make a patient susceptible to a CDI, however, three risks factors are particularly important. These factors are that a patient underwent a recent course of antibiotics, the patient was recently hospitalized, and the that the patient is over the age of sixty- five. An elderly person is more at risk because their immune system may be less competent, and they are at a higher risk of experiencing a health

Clostridium difficile is an obligate anaerobe, gram positive bacteria that has the ability to form spores. Clostridium difficile is the leading cause of nosocomial antibiotic associated diarrhea worldwide. C. difficile is an opportunist pathogen that utilizes many factors to infect and damage the host, often with overwhelming consequences. Symptoms range in severity from mild diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon, the most severe form of disease, which often results in death (Awad, 2014).

Clostridium difficile is a highly contagious infection of the colon that's hard to contain and occurs in many health care facilities. With the proper interventions, it can be prevented and contained. The purpose of this paper is to discuss an article about C. diff and give suggestions on how to avoid an outbreak at a health care facility.

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a pervasive and troublesome bacterium in healthcare. If left untreated it can lead to a plethora of complications—acute, chronic, and even fatal. C. difficile is a gram positive bacillus (with a capsule) and has ideal conditions for growth at around 37°C in an obligate anaerobic environment. In its vegetative state, C. difficile contains multiple flagella for motility within the intestinal tract; 1 however, once outside of its ideal environment, or through active shedding, it’s left latent within its hardy endospore until it is in its ideal environment once again.

Clostridium difficile or more commonly called C. difficile or C. diff is a spore producing rod shaped bacterium that can cause infections of which result in a broad spectrum of disease ranging from mild diarrhea and fever to pseudomembranous colitis and life threating inflammation of the colon. C. difficile commonly located in the feces of humans and is spread though spores. Over the last 20 years the prevalence of healthcare-associated C. difficile infection (CDI) has increased to an estimated prevalence of colonization as high as 50% in hospitalized patients. (Cohen et al., 2010) This rise in prevalence is associated with new epidemic strains of C. diff that, are causing in an increase of incidence and disease severity. C. difficile infections are most commonly associated with healthcare facilities like hospitals and long-term care facilities and are also the most common cause of infectious diarrhea in the healthcare setting. With the disease severity on the rise people who are most at risk are generally the ones already in the hospital and have lower immune response. C. difficile’s main rout of transmission is through direct or indirect contact with spores on a contaminated surface. After contact whether a person develops C. difficile or not, is directly connected with a person’s immune response. If the disease is contracted there are a variety of treatments available. Prevention before contraction is the main source of struggle with C. difficile especially in the

Clostridium Difficile is now considered to be one the most important causes of health care-associated infections. C. diff infections are also emerging in the community and in animals used for food, and are no longer viewed simply as unpleasant complications that follow antibiotic therapy. Since 2001, the prevalence and severity of C. diff infection has increased significantly, which has led to research on C. diff. This research summarizes C. diff background, causes, symptoms, infection occurs, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. This will give the reader some type of aspect about C.diff.

I learned about C. diff the hard way. In October of 2013, I was diagnosed with a C. diff infection following the use of Clindamycin. I was prescribed vancomycin to get rid of the C.diff but every time I stopped the vancomycin the C.diff would return. It took me six months of being deathly ill, rounds of failed vancomycin treatments and going from doctor to doctor before I found relief in the form of a Fecal Microbiota Transplantation(FMT). Still, I live with the fear that the next time I am prescribed antibiotic, the C. diff will return. After struggling with C. diff and experiencing the challenges and obstacles within in the medical community, I decided I wanted to make a difference in the world of C. diff. I became an advocate to try and

In the search of patents, monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) used for the treatment of Clostridium difficile infections (CDIs) were chosen in respect to previous research conducted for mAbs. In the U.S. alone, there are roughly a quarter of a million CDI related cases reported by clinics. Some patients develop severe symptoms of the infection and require extended medical treatment increasing medical expenses (Wilkins & Lyerly, 2003). Several strains of the bacterium have shown to be hypervirulent and have developed resistance to various antibiotics (Hernandez et al., 2015). In order to treat the tenacious bacterium, research on treatment alternatives for CDI has been in high demand. Relatively recently, Progenics Pharmaceuticals, Inc has applied and been approved for a patent for mAbs used to treat CDIs (Progenics Pharmaceuticals Submits Patent Application for Antibodies for the Treatment of Clostridium Difficile-Associated Infection and Disease, 2015).