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What Is C. diff (Clostridium difficile)?C. diff (Clostridium difficile) is contagious. While most cases are caused by antibiotic use, people can also get C. difficile infection from touching infected people or surfaces and not washing their hands. Even if people have no symptoms of C. diff infection, they can still spread the infection to others. C. diff (C. difficile) is bacteria that normally lives in the intestines. When people take antibiotics, the C. difficile in their intestines can grow out of control and cause severe diarrhea and colitis (inflammation of the colon). People can also get C. difficile infection from touching infected people or surfaces and not washing their hands. What Are Symptoms of C. diff (Clostridium difficile)?Symptoms of C. diff (Clostridium difficile) can begin within a few days after starting antibiotics and may include:
In some cases, people may have no symptoms of C. diff infection (they are considered “colonized”) but they can still spread the infection to others. What Causes C. diff (Clostridium difficile)?Most cases of C. diff occur from taking antibiotics. Most people have C. difficile in their intestines and it doesn’t cause problems. When people take antibiotics, it can disrupt the normal balance of bacteria in the intestines and allow C. difficile to grow out of control, resulting in symptoms. Risk factors for C. diff (Clostridium difficile) infection include:
QUESTIONPancreatitis is inflammation of an organ in the abdomen called the pancreas. See AnswerIs C. diff (Clostridium difficile) Contagious?C. diff (Clostridium difficile) is contagious. While most cases are caused by antibiotic use, people can also get C. difficile infection from touching infected people or surfaces and not washing their hands. Even if people have no symptoms of C. diff infection, they can still spread the infection to others. However, most healthy adults will not get sick from contact with C. diff. How Is C. diff (Clostridium difficile) Diagnosed?Along with a physical exam and patient history, C. difficile infection is diagnosed with a stool test. What Is the Treatment for C. diff (Clostridium difficile)?If you are diagnosed with C. diff (Clostridium difficile) and it is determined to be caused by taking a particular antibiotic, you may be switched to another antibiotic. (Never stop taking a prescribed medication without first talking to your doctor.) Antibiotics prescribed to treat C. diff include vancomycin or fidaxomicin, generally taken for at least 10 days. In some cases, a second round of antibiotics may be needed. Patients with severe symptoms may need to be hospitalized. Because C. diff is contagious, healthcare providers wear gowns and gloves to prevent the spread of C. diff to themselves and to other patients. In serious cases, patients may need a fecal transplant (bacteriotherapy), which involves the transfer of stool from a healthy donor into the gastrointestinal tract to help restore the balance of healthy bacteria in the intestine. In a very small number of patients who have extremely severe cases of C. diff infection (“fulminant” C. difficile colitis, in which the condition comes on suddenly and worsens quickly and is accompanied by hypotension or shock, ileus, or megacolon), surgery may be needed. Home remedies to help relieve symptoms of C. diff include:
How Do You Prevent C. diff (Clostridium difficile)?To help prevent C. difficile infection:
Reviewed on 12/10/2020 References https://www.uptodate.com/contents/antibiotic-associated-diarrhea-c-difficile-infection-the-basics https://www.uptodate.com/contents/clostridioides-formerly-clostridium-difficile-infection-in-adults-treatment-and-prevention https://www.uptodate.com/contents/surgical-management-of-clostridioides-formerly-clostridium-difficile-colitis-in-adults https://www.cdc.gov/cdiff/risk.html At what point is C. diff no longer contagious?C. difficile diarrhea may be treated with a course of antibiotics prescribed by your doctor and taken by mouth. Once you have completed treatment and diarrhea is resolved, your infection is no longer contagious and you no longer need to take any special precautions.
How long should C. diff patients be isolated?How long should a patient or an employee with C. diff be restricted from work or group activities? When possible, a person with active diarrhea caused by a C. diff infection should be restricted from work or group activities for 48 hours after diarrhea has resolved.
How long does it take antibiotics to work on C. diff?C. difficile infections usually respond well to treatment, with most people making a full recovery in a week or two. However, the symptoms come back in around 1 in 5 cases and treatment may need to be repeated.
Can you be around someone with C. diff?diff contagious? Yes, but most healthy adults who come in contact with C. diff won't get sick. They won't pick up the germs or be affected by them at all.
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