My father in law has contracted c.diff. after bowel cancer surgery, he was treated with vancomycin, however the infection seems to have reoccurred and he is now on metronidazole.
How worried should we be? He has just had chemo for secondary liver cancer, are there any questions we need to be asking the doctors? any advice appreciated.
2006-09-25 07:12:52 · 8 answers · asked by BRICK 3 in Health ➔ Diseases & Conditions ➔ Infectious Diseases
C. difficile is present in tiny amounts in the colon of a majority of children, and a lesser number of adults. (I think something like 90% of toddlers but maybe 20% of older adults, if my memory serves me.) It is usually an innocent bystander, and only causes trouble (watery diarrhea) when the other normal germs that inhabit the gut are killed by antibiotics, allowing the C. diff to grow unchecked.
It usually causes a severe, watery, profuse but self-limited diarrhea, treated by discontinuing the offending antibiotic, and often with vanco or metronidazole, especially in the case of frail/elderly patients.
The danger of C. diff is dehydration and poor nutrition due to protein and fluid loss. It can rarely, rarely cause death, but that would probably be in someone who's general state of health is precarious, meaning they were clinging to life because of a severe health problem, and that could rarely be the straw that breaks the camel's back.
In the vast majority of cases, C. diff is a nuisance, and it usually responds well to the antibiotics being used in this case.
Good luck!
2006-09-25 07:29:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
"C. difficile is a commensal bacterium of the human intestine in a minority of the population. Patients who have been staying long-term in a hospital or a nursing home have a higher likelihood of being colonized by this bacterium. In small numbers it does not result in disease of any significance. Antibiotics, especially those with a broad spectrum of activity, cause disruption of normal intestinal flora, leading to an overgrowth of C. difficile. This leads to pseudomembranous colitis"
Got that from Wikipedia. Seems this infection is common to inpatients. Apparently, as long as they stop his current antibiotics, and start him on C.Diff specific anti-biotics, he can be treated just fine. I'm not sure if metronidazine is C.Diff specific, so that's one question that should be asked. Whatever the case, the quote above says that antibiotics, especially those with a broad range of activity, reduce flora, which allows the infection. These bacteria are a normal bacteria that live in everyone's body, so overpopulation isn't as hard to control as with other bacteria. He should be ok, as long as he gets treated SPECIFICALLY.
I hope he beats all these problems he's having- good luck.
2006-09-25 07:24:37 · answer #2 · answered by Rockstar 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
On the ward I work c diff is usually treated with metronidozole first, followed by vancomycin for up to 10 days . This is a nasty infection that seems to really wear people out because of the chronic diarrhoea. Because your father in law is having chemo, his immune system is going to be depleted anyway. He is going to be more at risk of infections and then it will be harder for him to get rid of it. Speak to the doctors, ask them how long he is going to be on anti biotics for, hopefully the drugs he's on will work. Its important that he is well hydrated and eating if he can manage it.Also ask what can be done to minimise the risk of this recurring, he is also going to become very sore, so steps need to be taken to reduce this, whether he has a colostomy or not. Also ensure good hand hygiene. C diif is not removed by the anti-bacterial hand gels, you must also wash your hands and wear gloves. Remind the nurses on about this. Apart from that I am sorry that your father in law is having such a bad time, I hope things start to settle down for him soon. I wish you the best of luck.
2006-09-25 07:34:00 · answer #3 · answered by crissylizb06 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is a very serious condition and it is very hard to get rid of. Make sure he is in a seperate room to other patients and that the nurses attending him are using barriers when they are in the room (aprons, gloves etc) and do the same yourselves when visiting to prevent the spread of infection.
Make sure he is eating and having plenty to drink as this condition can cause dehydration.
2006-09-25 22:08:56 · answer #4 · answered by Catwhiskers 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The toxin C. difficile produces is microscope, and as such, you is truthfully no longer waiting to work out it on your feces with a bare eye. of direction, being diarrhea, the feces will seem fantastically distinctive from a classic bowel circulate, yet that is no longer the toxin itself. issues you may observe comprise mucus, blood, loose to fairly loose stools, and an extremely foul scent. as quickly as I had C. difficile, i might additionally see undigested foodstuff, with the aid of fact having diarrhea has a tendency to make the waste conflict by at a %. quicker than that is achievable for complete digestion. wish this enables!
2016-10-17 23:02:55 · answer #5 · answered by itani 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sorry for this news, but I work in an oncology unit. 1. Make sure Dad is in isolation. 2. Yes, this CAN be fatal, even without the cancer.
2006-09-25 07:22:10 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
chemo causes the immune system to be supressed, therefore more prone to infections, recurrent or otherwise. Speak to the consultant for proper advice
2006-09-25 07:23:26 · answer #7 · answered by gil 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clostridium_difficile
2006-09-25 07:16:33 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋