What is C Diff (C Difficile)?
Our bodies are home to many bacteria including c diff. Good bacteria kills or inhibits “bad” bacteria before it can harm us. When the good bacteria are killed by antibiotics taken for other medical conditions, C Difficile, which some people carry in their intestines, can create severe illness.
C Diff Basics
What is C Diff?
What are the symptoms of C Diff?
How is C Diff diagnosed?
How is C Diff treated?
Understanding Your C Difficile Infection
How does C Difficile make you ill
Why do some people have recurring C Diff infection
How can C diff be prevented
What is the C Diff ‘fecal transplant’ therapy
Is C Difficile contagious?
What is C Difficile colitis
What are C Difficile toxins
C Difficile Drugs
A simple guide to Flagyl (Metronidazole)
New targeted drug – Fidaxomicin
When Flagyl is not enough – Vancocin
- Critic blames funding delay for C. difficile outbreak
- C. difficile – 20% of hospital patients become colonized?
- Optimer want to market Dificid to prevent C Diff
- Some antacid medications may raise C. difficile risk
- PPIs that might provoke C Diff listed
- C. diff Infection study shakes the foundations of C Diff understanding
- ‘Wrong strategy’ to tackle C. diff
- Staff Education Tool: Environmental Audit Tool for Management of C. Diff
- Another ward closed at Raigmore due to new C.diff case
- C diff – Not being caught on the ward as much as thought
C Diff and Acid Reflux Drugs
We also have sites about MRSA, MRSA Infection, NDM-1 bacteria and the possibility of untreatable diseases
{ 17 comments… read them below or add one }
We had a family member who was ill sstaying with us for a week. What type of cleaning do we need to do? And this person was petting our dogs and let one of the dogs up in his lap, what type of percautions do we need to take with them (I.e. baths)?
Many people are colonized with C difficile and do not suffer any illness unless they are on medication for several days or weeks. C Diff spores are very hard to get rid off if the person was an active shedder when they were with you. Given that they were mobile most of the shedding would be via their hands. Clean high touch surfaces with strong bleach and clean the animals with conventional washing. Do not worry too much – you are unlikely to suffer a c diff episode unless you are already ill with something else.
Dave
Cdifficile.org
Does C Diff respond to Oredano Oil? It is extremely pathogenic and not a drug. ( in a negative fashion, for sure!)
Thanks for your time.
We are not aware of any information on this
Dave Roberts
cdifficile.org
My baby has a permante feeding tube and has c-diff three times he is only a yr old i was wondering if something else was going on with him the drs are missing he has bloody poops too has been tested for intrususseption and it was negative I am at a loss but scared of the side effects of flagel what else can i do he is also on a acidofalis to please someone help me hes been threw so much in his life I need an answer
Dear Shondell
We limit ourselves to advice of a general nature about c diff here on the site. I am so sorry to hear about your situation. Have you asked your doctors about Fidaxomicin as this often stops c difficile from coming back.
Dave
cdifficile.org
After antibiotic how many days or hours wait for repeat culture?
How many time do we need for culture for safety?
You will need to get expert medical advice re repeat cultures. We are an information site about general C Diff issues
Sorry we cannot be more helpful
Dave
cdifficile.org
I have had diarrhea for a couple weeks now, but I was in the hospital and on very stron antibiotics. I have been taking acidophilus and just started taking an anti-diarrheal. I don’t have any other symptoms, ie. fever cramps etc. Should I be concerned?
I work at a hospital in environmental services. Last night I cleaned a c – diff room without proper signage and didn’t wear my ppe or clean with the correct cleaner. I re did the room after I found out but I was already exposed. I am currently on ciproflaxin 500mg twice a day due to bronchitis. Am I at a greater risk?
I have a dear friend whom I truly care about and love, and all of a sudden, he was taken down w/ “a flue”, of which, I too, had. But mine was fever, throat, ear infection, bronchitis, NOT GASTRO…..mine was treated w/triple antibiotic otic solution for ear (as 2ndhand smoke from working as FltAttdt has left me w/perforated eardrum)& I had allergies from 1st anitbiotic, which was 500 mg AMOX-CLAV taken down to 250mg AZITHROMYCIN 6PACK, point being I beat this “flue”, but my friend just sent me an email stating he has been in hospital (after receiving 5 bags of IV solution for gastrointestinal “flue, on 12/07/11), and NOW tells me he almost lost his life and has been in hospital until 1/13/12 with C-Diff & is still not back @ work. His work involves travel (which he had just come back from), works in the “field” as Homicide Detective, teacher, etc. Question is this: I did get sick, but I am over it, he apparently gave me some sort of illness as I know airborne germs very well travel around airplanes, but I READ that only 2-5% of population get C-Diff…..IS IT CONTAGIOUS? HOW CAN I HELP HIM? I am a former RN, have worked in all types of medical environments, am now disabled and generally do not work out in field anymore due to spinal problems. I am not sick, so is this something HE got from air, work, bad luck??? And, he was working 24/7 on call for this type of work….he was very dehydrated and always tired. Seeing that I want to help him, want to make sure that what/if I do is correct, and also do not want to spread it or get it myself. WHAT SHOULD I DO TO HELP? IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? Thank you so very much for your time and interest. God bless you with only the good things that life has.
Unless you have a test to establish that you have had C Diff it is unlikely that he gave it to you. C Diff is contagious but this tends to happen during the stage when the patient has very bad diarrhea. He needs expert medical help for the c diff condition and like us all some general TLC for the recovery period.
Dave
cdifficile.org
Technically yes. Those on antibiotics are most prone to moving from being a carrier to being infected.
Dave
cdifficile.org
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Thank you.
Hi my wife has been sick for a while first went to dr for bronchial infection given antibiotics took two days worth and became very sick with diarrhea went back to dr was told it was the stomach flu and put on another round of antibiotic. Finished the 10 days worth thought she was getting better two days later we were back at the dr with stomach issues. Went to lab did stool sample because her white blood count was 22,000 tested positive for c-diff. Dr said as long as we kept fluids in her she could stay home and not go to hospital, we were not told how contagious it is should we be worried?
Hi Shondell,
My son had cdiff too when he was 1 after taking antibiotic for a week…. his doctor recommended a probiotic Florastor kids. You may also want to google Dr. George Russell of Mass General on his article of C diff.
Good luck!
I was an 3 types of antibiotics (so for about a month) amoxicillin, zpack, and amoxicillin with clavunate. I had loose stools while taking the amoxicillin with clavonate but only twice a day and they were dark in color. I had to restart the amoxicillin after some dental work and last night I got really gassy and today I am passing watery, mucous like stools. It has that wierd C-diff smell to it, too. The highest fever I had was 100.0. I am very weary of going on another antibiotic, do you think this might go away on its own? Thanks!