Clostridium Difficile

A healthy human body is home to a variety of useful bacteria, including those that populate the gastrointestinal (GI) tract to keep dangerous organisms at bay. But when conditions such as illness or surgery require antibiotics, treatment designed to protect patients can also eliminate helpful organisms. This increases the risk of infections like the aggressive Clostridium difficile (C. difficile).

At The University of Kansas Health System, our experts use the latest treatment options to help cure patients of resistant or recurrent C. difficile.

C. difficile, often called C. diff, is a common bacterial infection and can be aggressive. It infects about 500,000 people in the United States every year and sends hundreds of thousands to the hospital. C. difficile can be fatal, causing 14,000 to 30,000 deaths annually.

Organisms normally present in the GI tract generally occupy the sites where C. difficile would attach and grow. When antibiotics wipe out helpful bacteria, C. difficile can take hold. When those who carry C. difficile fail to wash their hands well, they contaminate surfaces they touch. When others touch contaminated surfaces, they may inadvertently transfer the bacteria to their food or mouths.

The symptoms of C. difficile include:

• Abdominal pain
• Loss of appetite
• Mild to moderate nausea
• Watery diarrhea three or more times a day for more than 2 days

In more serious cases, inflammation within the colon can be extensive, even cause bleeding and damage to the intestinal lining. Symptoms of severe infections include:

• Dehydration
• Fever
• Severe abdominal pain and intestinal cramping
• Watery diarrhea as often as 15 times daily
• Weight loss

Very severe cases can lead to dehydration, low blood pressure, kidney failure or bowel perforation.

Antibiotic use is the primary trigger of a C. difficile infection, especially when used for a long period of time or when a broad-spectrum antibiotic that kills a wide variety of bacteria has been prescribed.

Additional risk factors include:

• 65 years of age or older
• Existing intestinal issues, such as inflammatory bowel disease or colon cancer
• Previous C. difficile infection, especially recent
• Recent abdominal surgery
• Weakened immune system due to chemotherapy, immunosuppression drugs or AIDS

If you develop diarrhea within a few days of admission to or release from the hospital or within 2 months of taking an antibiotic or have 3 or more bouts of diarrhea in 24 hours, C. difficile could be responsible.

There are several ways to diagnose and treat C. difficile.

The infection can be diagnosed by:

• CT scan
• Endoscopic examination
• Stool test or blood test

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