Question 1

what is a c diff infection like?

Accepted Answer

Infection: Colon infection from clostridium difficile can cause fever, nausea, abdominal cramping pains, sometimes serious abdominal pain, diarrhea & dehydration. Some people can become very ill from this. Treated with specific antibiotics for this type of infection. Rarely requires surgery if severe & life threatening.

Question 2

how long does a c-diff infection last?

Accepted Answer

Long if not treated: C. Difficile can cause a prolonged severe colitis if it is not treated.  If treated it usually starts to improve 3-4 days into the 10-14 day treatment course. Relapses occur in 25% of cases.  These relapses require re-treatment and can continue to recur requiring prolonged pulse/taper vancomycin treatment and even fecal transplant therapy for cure.

Question 3

what are the symptoms of a c-diff infection?

Accepted Answer

Watery diarrhea: Pseudo membranous enterocolitis caused by clostridium difficile causes variable amounts of watery, mousy smelling diarrhea.  Sometimes, especially in the elderly, it can cause a very serious, life-threatening colitis.

Question 4

what is a c. diff infection and how do you get it?

Accepted Answer

C. Diff: C. Diff= clostridium dificile. This is a common organism that may inhabit the Gi tract. It causes disease when there is a shift in the flora and it produces a toxin that causes small ulcers and death of the surface cells. Traditionally, antibiotics that destroyed "good" flora as well as infection were blamed, but now many other things lead up to the change.

Question 5

how long does it take to feel back to yourself after a c diff infection?

Accepted Answer

Difficult to say: But things should improve as soon as you start having loose stools. That being said, you can still have a positive c diff stool test up to thirty days after affective treatment, so give yourself a month after symptoms resolve and see if you have returned to your baseline. If symptoms recur, make sure to let your doc know. Hope that helps!

Question 6

what is the difference between a mild moderate and sever c diff infection?

Accepted Answer

C Difficile Severity: Severity of C. Difficile infection ranges from mild to severe. Mild infection presents with three watery stools a day +/- mild abdominal pain or tenderness. White blood cell count is normal for mild infections. Severe infection presents with frequent watery stools (10+ times a day), blood or pus in stool, severe abdominal pain, fever, dehydration, high white blood cell count, and kidney failure.

Question 7

can vancomycin cause c diff infection?

Accepted Answer

Possible, unlikely: Vancomycin is seldom taken orally, and when it is it can at least partially treat c. Difficile infection, although it isn't active against spores.  When taken IV it is primarily excreted by the kidneys and little is likely to get into the distal colon unchanged. If it did it will not alter flora significantly and predispose to cl. Difficile overgrowth or toxin production by the vegetative form.

Question 8

how is clostridium (c diff) infection diagnosed?

Accepted Answer

Clinically & tests: Sometimes you can suspect the diagnosis based on the clinical circumstances.  You can also detect the presence of the toxin in stools with lab tests designed for this purpose.

Question 9

docs, what's c diff infection and how do you get it?

Accepted Answer

Bacterial infection: Clostridium difficile (c. Diff) is a bacteria that infects the colon or large intestine. It can cause disease ranging from mild diarrhea to severe colitis with organ failure and death. It is associated with the use of antibiotics, which kill off healthy bacteria in your gut allowing space for c diff  to grow. It is also associated with exposure to a hospital. Initial treatment is with antibiotics.

Question 10

can a c-diff infection cause a diverticulitis flare up?

Accepted Answer

Yes: Although I can not say I have a specific study saying it does, I would agree that a process such as c diff could inflame your diverticulosis into diverticulits.

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