A doctor please.C Diff virus,?
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Thanks for asking,
I am a nurse and I hope, you would not ignore my answer.
Clostridium Difficile, is a bacteria that normally lives in our intestine. It becomes nasty to the gut when, the balance of the gut is disturbed (balance between good and bad bacteria) due to over use or misuse of antibiotics.
Normally, the sufferer presents with a frequent passage of passing loose stools, fever, tiredness and abdominal pain . The stool smells really offensive. It is normally diagnosed with a stool sample and the victim will be isolated once, the diagnosis is confirmed.
The choice of antibiotic is Flagyl(metronidazole) which should be given orally/ enterally to gain the maximum effect. It is not very effective when , given intravenously(into the veins).
Complete cure is possible and the person will start to pass normal(formed) stool with a less frequency which is a sign of recovery. A strict hand hygiene is very important while you care the victim and no other practices like using alcohol gel ,is recommended for the hand hygiene. Please adhere to the infection control policy of the unit/hospital. The loose stool should be contained ,failing which may spread the infection . In the hospital environment, they may use specially designed faecal collector to contain the stool.
Untreated infection can cause intestinal perforation that will eventually lead to septic shock and death. In the hospital , the person will be considered free of infection(c-diff) when, he receives three consecutive stool samples negative.
Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a bacterium that is present naturally in the gut of around 3% of adults and 66% of children.
C. diff doesn't cause any problems in healthy people. However, some antibiotics that are used to treat other health conditions can interfere with the balance of good bacteria in the gut. When this happens, C. diff bacteria can multiply and cause symptoms such as diarrhoea and fever.
Because C. diff infections are usually caused by antibiotics, most cases usually happen in a healthcare environment such as a hospital or care home. Older people are most at risk from infection, with the majority of cases (80%) occurring in people over the age of 65.
Most people with a C. diff infection make a full recovery. However, in very rare cases the infection can be fatal.
The number of C. diff cases has risen from 22,000 a year in 2002 to almost 45,000 in 2004. One of the main reasons for this rise is the improvement in tests to diagnose the infection, but there has clearly been an increase in the number of cases.
C. diff infections can be prevented by good hygiene practices in healthcare environments. However, it is extremely contagious and is spread very easily.
Treatment:
C. difficile can be treated with certain antibiotics, and in some cases, probiotic (good bacteria) treatments may be prescribed.
Probably about two weeks before he is in the clear.
It's called Clostridium Difficile, it's an infection that causes diarrhea which is foul smelling. It is usually treated with antibiotic called Flagyl.
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