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Clostridium Difficile

Clostridium difficile has become a common infection control problem in hospitals and healthcare facilities. Clostridium difficile is a bacterium that affects your intestines. New versions of this bacterium produce 20 times the toxin of the older version. When clostridium difficile takes over the toxins attack your intestinal wall and left untreated may cause ulcerations. Antibiotic usage is usually the initial cause of developing this disease. Additionally, antibiotics are usually the cause of recurrent cases of Clostridium difficile. An estimated 400,000 case of severe diarrhea are associated to clostridium difficile each year.

Symptoms & Diagnosis
Clostridium difficile symptoms may include diarrhea and cramping at first. The later stages are commonly flu-like symptoms of weakness, dehydration, fever, nausea, vomiting. In the advanced stages, individuals may have blood in their stool. Lab tests examine stool samples to determine whether an individual might have a Clostridium difficile infection. A gastroenterologist is the main specialist that handles this illness because they deal with illnesses of the gastrointestinal tract (stomach & intestines). The gastroenterologist may perform a colonoscopy to assess the damage to your intestines and the presence of the Clostridium difficile.

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