what is c-dif, c-defenene, c-def??

[hensylee]

I called in just after midnight to check on my brother (surprise visits yield stuff that you don't always get in the daytime). The nurse told me they are checking him and the others for the above virus, (everybody else refused to tell me what they are looking for) but I can't find it on the net so I must not have the proper words, but this is what she called it. It is a virus that manifests itself as stomach cramps, severe diarrhea. No fever, no aches/pains, no anything else. Since we have medical people here in VR, can you help out with the proper name and where I can find out about it? I really want to research this. Like Nancy says, get to the bottom of things. Search all avenues. I am trying to do just that.

 

[perkicar]

C diff

C diff

I called in just after midnight to check on my brother (surprise visits yield stuff that you don't always get in the daytime). The nurse told me they are checking him and the others for the above virus, (everybody else refused to tell me what they are looking for) but I can't find it on the net so I must not have the proper words, but this is what she called it. It is a virus that manifests itself as stomach cramps, severe diarrhea. No fever, no aches/pains, no anything else. Since we have medical people here in VR, can you help out with the proper name and where I can find out about it? I really want to research this. Like Nancy says, get to the bottom of things. Search all avenues. I am trying to do just that.

Actually a bacteria, not a virus....Clostridium difficile, usually found in stool, easy to transmit patient to patient if you're not careful with hand hygiene. Can be treated with antibiotics but makes it a challenge to place in nursing home (I'm thinking of inpatients here) because they don't want someone there who can spread it to everyone else. I'm not sure if it's one of those "labels" that you carry forever (being "c diff positive"), or once it's treated and you test negative, you're "OK". I'm going to work today and tomorrow, I'll see what I can find out.

 

[perkicar]

more on c diff

more on c diff

Actually a bacteria, not a virus....Clostridium difficile, usually found in stool, easy to transmit patient to patient if you're not careful with hand hygiene. Can be treated with antibiotics but makes it a challenge to place in nursing home (I'm thinking of inpatients here) because they don't want someone there who can spread it to everyone else. I'm not sure if it's one of those "labels" that you carry forever (being "c diff positive"), or once it's treated and you test negative, you're "OK". I'm going to work today and tomorrow, I'll see what I can find out.

It's actually treated with flagyl, not antibiotics--here's an interesting fact sheet I found online http://www.virginia.edu/uvaprint/HSC/pdf/040860.pdf , it explains it better than I can!

Hope that helps

 

[hensylee]

Caroline, I am so grateful to you. I have been all over the net and reading, reading. This sounds just like it. Seems people taking antibiotics are prone. Richard has been on antibiotics for several weeks. I heard flagyl mentioned that he is now on. Richard also told me yesterday that they have discontinued his IV antibiotic. He is really in a bad condition; hopefully will get better but it might take a long time. Seems this thing ran rampant in the assisted living facility where he lives. I guess the staff spread it from room to room. He lives in his own small one room apartment, as all other residents do, but staff is in and out of all the rooms, delivering meds, clean clothes, cleaning the rooms/baths, etc. and that must be how it spread. All of them are fragile people so it's easy for them to contract this. Sad to say that from reading, it can recur easily.

 

[Nancy]

Oh dear--

Joe had c-diff contracted during one of his extended stays in the hospital. It lasted three months for him, they would get it under control, and then it would come back. He was going up to ten times per day. Very debilitating.

He finally had to go to a gastro man who put him on a medication which coats the intestinal tract, can't remember the name right now, but when I have a chance, I'll look it up. That had to be spaced out from his Coumadin because it interferes with the absorption.

This was several years ago. Your poor brother must be in great distress. It's a very nasty bug. I hope they get him better in a hurry.

 

[hensylee]

thank you DrAllan

thank you DrAllan

Richard has c-dif again. Seems it can remain in the system and pop up when antibiotics are given. It can remain there for a year - or even life.

Richard has 2 kidney stones, had renal failure, pneumonia, dehydration. He's been in the hospital some time now. had two dialysis treatments. He gained 14 lbs from Fri to Monday. His creatinine was 11 - should be 1. It's come down to 4 (a couple days ago). Today they discovered the c-dif. He's been on heavy antibiotics and they have isolated him again, like last year. He's been in two hospitals, 2 ICU units, Progressive Care Unit and they moved him to a room tonight (for isolation, I guess).

He will go to nursing home for rehab soon as the nursing home can get a room for isolation and they will try to dissolve the stones. He has a stent from bladder to kidney and one stone is stuck in there and blocked passage to bladder. The other stone is high in the kidney. Nobody picked up on this even tho I had him to 2 drs. You'd think he'd have had excruciating pain but he didn't. He has an old back injury and he told his P.T. his back was bothering him but he didn't tell us. I asked him about his back early on and he said 'I'm used to it, it's not bad'.

 

[sylviayasgur]

oh boy...

oh boy...

hi ann,
i was put on strong antibiotics three years ago for a sinus infection. a day later i developed very bad diarhea and terrible cramps. i am in good health and am small... 5'2" 115 lbs. and lost 10 lbs in one week. i was hungry and thirsty and kept my calorie intake up, but still lost weight.
it is a misery.

i was given flagyll and was fine for a week until i had a relapse... again flagyll for 3 weeks... fine for a month, but again, relapse.... after that i went to a gastro man who placed me on vancomycin for a month. that finally knocked it out......
i have had bouts that have mimicked it over the last few years and i get very alarmed. had an early colonoscopy as a result.. all fine, just irritation.

it is really awful, but with persistence and constant watching it is beatable.
i'm so sorry to hear about this and that your brother has to deal with this one more thing....

i hope he feels better soon.
please let us know...
btw, i no longer take antibiotics for anything.. unless i'm dying.
all the best, sylvia

 

[Debbrn]

BTW, the popular hand sanitizer is not an effective hand cleaner when someone has C. diff. You must use old fashion soap and water. Hand sanitizer is now becoming very common in medical facilities. You have to be very careful that everyone is using soap instead if someone has C. diff.

Debbie

 

[Nancy]

Ann-

I am so sorry to hear that your brother is having this awful problem again. As I mentioned before, it took forever to finally get Joe straightened out when he had c-diff. Nasty, nasty stuff.

A person with other compromising health issues certainly doesn't need this problem. It really saps your strength. I'll keep him in my prayers.

 

[Mary]

Ann,
You all are in my thoughts and prayers.
Mary