According to a recent study, published in the British medical journal the Lancet, C.difficile strikes more in British and Irish hospitals as compared to most other European countries. This study was carried out in three European countries and in 97 hospitals. The authors of this study underline the urgency to track and control this serious infectious agent. Healthy carriers in the population become germ reservoirs that may contribute to its spread in the environment and an underlying cause for a serious epidemic.
C. difficile, often associated with antibiotic therapies, causes severe diarrhea, fever and acute pain. It causes serious complications in the patient's health, at times leading to death. The infection can last several weeks, in some cases months, and frequently incapacitates patients. Severe cases of C. Difficile can result in death within a few days of the onset of symptoms. In certain cases, it is necessary to ablate the large intestine.
Most often, the infection occurs after a patient is treated with antibiotics, which have a tendency to undermine intestinal flora thereby exposing the patient to C. Difficile. Those with a fragile immune system, in particular the elderly, are at high risk.
Unfortunately, C. Difficile is highly contagious and is easily spread by health care workers, patients, and by the hospital environment itself. Its spores can live for up to 28 weeks on virtually any surface found in hospitals: counters, night tables, bed rails etc. In order to prevent contamination, hospital rooms must be disinfected according to very specific criteria.
Since 2003, the number of C. Difficile infections has steadily increased throughout North America, in particular, the number of severe and reoccurring infections. Between, 1994 and 2004, the incidence of the 027 strain has increased ten fold in Quebec and has more that tripled in the USA. In Quebec, the provincial health care system has been closely monitoring C. Difficile and although there has been a general decrease in its incidence, results vary greatly from one hospital to another.
Source: study by Dr. Maritjn Bauer, University of Leiden, Netherlands. Financed by the Centre européen de contrôle de maladies (MCDC). The Lancet: British medical journal.
More information on C.difficile
Individuals with mild C. difficile colitis may have:
* a low-grade fever,
* mild diarrhea (5-10 watery stools a day),
* mild abdominal cramps and tenderness.
Those with severe C. difficile colitis may have:
* a high fever (temperature of 102 F to 104 F),
* severe diarrhea (more than 10 watery stools a day) with blood, and
* severe abdominal pain and tenderness.
Severe diarrhea also can lead to dehydration and disturbances in the electrolytes (minerals) in the body. Rarely, severe colitis can lead to life-threatening complications such as megacolon (markedly dilated colon), peritonitis (inflammation of the lining of the abdominal), and perforation of the colon.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
