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C. Diff Infection: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis And Treatment

Clostridioides difficile (C. Diff) is a type of bacteria that can cause colitis, a serious inflammation of the colon. Infections from C. Diff often start after you've been taking antibiotics. It can sometimes be life-threatening.

When you have C. Diff, the symptoms can range from mild to severe.

Mild symptoms can include problems such as:

Watery diarrhea that happens three to four times a day for several days

Stomach pain, cramping, or tenderness

In more serious infections, there may be blood or pus in the stool. This can happen because C. Diff can cause the colon (also called the large intestine) to get inflamed. When this happens, tissue in the colon can bleed or make pus. Other symptoms of a serious infection include:

If your C. Diff infection is severe, you could get severe intestinal inflammation. Your colon could also get enlarged and you could develop an extreme response called sepsis. All of these problems are serious and could send you to the hospital.

If your diarrhea from C. Diff is very severe, get medical help quickly. Severe diarrhea can lead to life-threatening dehydration.

What does C. Diff smell like?

C. Diff may change the odor of your stool. Some people say it's an unusually strong, foul odor they hadn't noticed before. Others report a sweetness to the odor, which may be caused by bile in your stool.

What does C. Diff poop look like?

If you have a condition, such as irritable bowel disease (IBD), that frequently causes diarrhea, it's helpful to know what your diarrhea looks like during a flare. This can help you see differences in the way it looks at other times and seek help promptly. For example, sometimes diarrhea caused by C. Diff looks like hot cereal — fluffy or mushy. Sometimes, you might see blood in your stool or mucus. Other times, it might have a green appearance.

C. Diff exists all around us. It's in the air, water, soil, and the feces of humans and animals.

Clostridium difficile (C. Diff) is a highly contagious bacterial infection of the colon. It's typically caused by taking certain antibiotics, which can interfere with the balance between good and bad bacteria in your gut.

C. Diff bacteria that are outside the body turn into spores that can live on surfaces for weeks or months. These spores are not "active," but they can turn active after you swallow them and they get into your intestines. Some people have the bacteria in their intestines and never have any symptoms. But for others, the bacteria make toxins that attack the intestines.

A new strain of C. Diff bacteria makes larger amounts of toxins. These types are hard to treat with medications.

C. Diff bacteria spread in health care facilities, such as hospitals or nursing homes, where workers are more likely to come into contact with them and then with patients or residents.

You can also become infected if you touch clothing, sheets, or other surfaces that have come in contact with feces and then touch your mouth or nose.

Older adults in health care facilities are most at risk, especially if they're taking antibiotics. That's because the human body contains thousands of different types of bacteria -- some good, some bad. If the antibiotics kill enough healthy bacteria, the ones that cause C. Diff could grow unchecked and make you sick.

The antibiotics that are most linked to a risk of C. Diff infection are:

Cephalosporins

Clindamycin

Fluoroquinolones

Penicillins

An increasing number of younger people also develop C. Diff infections, even without taking antibiotics or being in a hospital. Failure to wash your hands thoroughly after being exposed to the bacteria can lead to infection.

You also have higher odds of getting C. Diff if you have:

Women have higher chances of getting C. Diff than men. You're also more at risk for the disease if you're 65 or older. And the more times you've had the disease before, the greater your odds of developing C. Diff.

If a C. Diff infection isn't treated quickly, you could become dehydrated due to severe diarrhea. This loss of fluids might also affect your:

A C. Diff infection also can lead to rare problems such as:

Leaking from your colon. Fluid can leak from your colon into the abdominal cavity, resulting in a loss of proteins called albumin from your colon. Low albumin levels can cause leaky blood vessels and swelling in your face, feet, and hands. 

Pseudomembranous colitis. Caused by toxins produced by C. Diff, this type of colitis attacks the cells of your intestinal lining, resulting in ulcers and plaques there. 

Reactive arthritis. Severe C. Diff may cause joint pain, inflammation and swelling, an immune response that occurs in a small fraction of people with the infection. 

Toxic megacolon. Your colon dilates and can't release gas or stool. This could cause it to swell and rupture. It can be life-threatening without emergency surgery.

Bowel perforation. This is a hole in your large intestines that allows dangerous bacteria to escape. It can lead to a dangerous infection called peritonitis.

Long-term problems after C. Diff

The more severe your C. Diff infection is, the higher the likelihood of complications. If you get C. Diff a second time, there's a 40% chance you'll get it again.

Your colon may heal more slowly if you had a severe form of C. Diff, have taken antibiotics for a long period (including for C. Diff), are immunocompromised, or are older than 65.

Yes. C. Diff is very contagious. Externally, C. Diff is transmitted to your gut through your mouth. Many of us already have C. Diff in our intestines that other, helpful bacteria keep in check. When antibiotics kill off these helpful bacteria, C. Diff can take over in your gut.

The spores C. Diff creates are resistant to the types of substances that kill other bacteria such as heat, acid, antibiotics, and disinfectant cleaners. C. Diff can live for months on surfaces.

How long is C. Diff contagious?

If you're being treated for Clostridioides difficile, you should stay away from other people for at least 48 hours after your symptoms disappear. Sometimes, you can have no symptoms but still have C. Diff in your colon that can be spread to others. That's why frequent handwashing with warm water and soap is so important. Hand sanitizer does not work on C. Diff.

C. Diff incubation period

It's not well-known how long the incubation period for C. Diff is. Studies have shown the infection can appear anywhere from 2 days to 3 months after you're exposed.

Antibiotics may have triggered your infection, but some types of these drugs target C. Diff. They include:

Talk with your doctor about the side effects of these antibiotics.

It's important to replace fluids that you lost from diarrhea. Drink plenty of fluids that have water, salt, and sugar, such as broth and fruit juices.

If there's been damage to your intestines, you may need surgery to remove the affected areas.

C. Diff diet

If you have watery diarrhea, eat starchy foods such as:

Crackers

Potatoes

Rice

Oatmeal

Soup

Boiled vegetables

Bananas

C. Diff recurrence

Sometimes, a Clostridioides difficile infection can come back. Studies have shown that the people most at risk for a recurrence of C. Diff are:

Older (average age 70)

Female or people assigned female at birth

Those with a history of cancer

Previous users of certain types of antibiotics (tetracyclines, cephalosporins, and nitrofurans)

Other studies have indicated that kidney patients on dialysis may have a higher risk for C. Diff. This is because dialysis patients often require antibiotics to treat various complications due to their treatment.

Doctors sometimes recommend a treatment to help repopulate the colon with healthy bacteria. It's often done by putting another person's stool in your colon using a device called a colonoscope. The procedure is called fecal microbiota transplant (FMT).

Donors are screened carefully to make sure they're not passing along infections or parasites.

If you're in a hospital or long-term health care facility, you can do several things to protect yourself from C. Diff. For example:

Ask your health care professionals to wash their hands thoroughly before and after caring for you.

Request that all medical equipment be sanitized before being brought into your room.

Wash your hands with soap and water after using the bathroom and before eating.

Another way to help prevent C. Diff is to avoid unnecessary antibiotics. Talk this over with your doctor and see if there are other treatment options. And don't take antibiotics without a doctor's OK.

Many C. Diff infections are mild and short-lived, but others can be quite serious. Take precautions, and don't hesitate to seek medical help if you have symptoms.

C. Diff and probiotics

After having C. Diff, it's important to reintroduce "good" bacteria back into your gut. These bacteria, called probiotics, can help limit the growth of C. Diff. Fermented foods with live cultures such as yogurt, kefir, miso, and sauerkraut contain probiotics. Probiotics can also be taken as supplements.

There is limited evidence about the role probiotics play in helping to treat or prevent C. Diff. Some data suggests that combinations of the good bacteria Lactobacillus and S. Boulardii may help prevent C. Diff infections in high-risk patients, but more research is needed.

Clostridioides difficileis a very contagious bacterial infection that causes symptoms such as frequent watery diarrhea, abdominal cramping, nausea, fever, blood in your stool, and a rapid heartbeat. C. Diff usually occurs after a course of certain antibiotics, known as broad-spectrum antibiotics, which kill good and bad bacteria in your gut and allow C. Diff to take over. Risk factors for C. Diff include being over age 65; a stay in a hospital, nursing home, or long-term care facility where treatment with antibiotics is common; and a history of previous C. Diff infection. Severe C. Diff can cause serious complications. If you've recently taken a course of antibiotics, see your doctor if you have watery diarrhea for more than a couple of days, develop a fever, or have severe cramping and abdominal pain.

Is it OK to be around someone with C. Diff?

You may have to take care of someone with C. Diff, but it's important to take precautions. These include isolating the person as much as possible, wearing and promptly throwing away disposable gloves when you care for them, and washing your hands frequently. Some disinfectants don't work on C. Diff, but cleaners containing chlorine (bleach) do. Be sure to disinfect any surfaces the person with C. Diff touches.

Can C. Diff be treated at home?

Yes. If your symptoms are mild,  your doctor will ask you to stop taking the antibiotics that may have caused your C. Diff infection and start you on a new course of antibiotics that specifically target C. Diff. Most people make a full recovery in 1 to 2 weeks.

How do you get rid of C. Diff permanently?

You might always have C. Diff in your gut but not get sick or be contagious. If you have multiple infections with C. Diff, a procedure called fecal microbiota transplant from a stool sample of a healthy donor can restore bacterial balance in your gut to help ward off C. Diff.

Once you have C. Diff, do you always have it?

After being treated, you may still have some C. Diff left in your gut, but the balance of other bacteria in your gut should help keep C. Diff in check. A C. Diff relapse may not be your original infection but a new one.

Donated Human Stool Safely And Effectively Treats C. Difficile ...

A novel therapy that uses donated human stool to treat the deadly and contagious C.Difficile infection is safe and highly effective, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.

Researchers found that 43 of 49 patients recovered swiftly after treatment and had no adverse complications from C.Diff three months later. Treatment is performed either through a nasogastric tube or colonscopy on an outpatient or inpatient basis.

Mayur Ramesh, M.D., a Henry Ford Infectious Diseases physician and senior author of the study, says the treatment, while appearing unconventional, has striking results.

"More than 90 percent of the patients in our study were cured of their C.Diff infection," says Dr. Ramesh. "This treatment is a viable option for patients who are not responding to conventional treatment and who want to avoid surgery."

The study was presented October 19 at the annual Infectious Diseases Society of America meeting in San Diego.

In their study, researchers evaluated 49 patients who contracted Clostridium difficile, or C.Diff, a germ that causes diarrhea and other intestinal problems and is linked to 14,000 deaths annually. Symptoms include water diarrhea, fever, loss of appetite, nausea and abdominal pain and tenderness. C.Diff occurs in patients taking antibiotics, and can spread from person-to-person contact or from touching contaminated equipment and objects like door knobs.

Patients with a C.Diff infection are typically treated with the antibiotics metronidazole or vancomycin. However, surgery could be required to remove the infected part of the intestines. In its study, Henry Ford treated patients between May 2010 and June 2012 with a therapy called intestinal microbiota transplantation (IMT), using donated stool from a healthy family member.

Dr. Ramesh says the healthy stool, when mixed with warm tap water and administered, helps to re-establish the normal intestinal flora in the patient's gastrointestinal tract. Intestinal flora is healthy bacteria that stimulates the immune system and aids the digestion and absorption of food.

"Patients who receive treatment through a nasogastric tube don't taste or smell the stool mixture as it's administered," Dr. Ramesh says. "Patients often resume their diet within a couple hours and are feeling better within 24 hours."

Of the 49 patients, 43 fully recovered, four died of causes unrelated to C.Diff, one had intestinal surgery and one had no improvement.

The study was funded by Henry Ford Hospital.

11 End Up In Hospital ICU After Getting Sick At San Jose Restaurant ...

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- A contagious bacteria sickening diners at a South Bay restaurant is spreading to people who never even ate there.

A woman who ate the contaminated seafood told ABC7 News about her trip to the hospital E.R. Alicia Ingram was discharged from the hospital Tuesday, but many others remain hospitalized.

The Santa Clara County Health Department is concerned the cases of Shigella are spreading from the diners who ate at Mariscos San Juan restaurant #3 to those who did not eat there, but came in contact with sick patients.

Click here for details on Shigella from the CDCThe symptoms include diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps starting a day or two after being exposed to the bacteria. The symptoms usually go away in 5-10 days. Shigella can be stopped by frequent and careful hand-washing with soap.

MORE: Prevention tips from the CDC

Alicia said, "I wanted shrimp tacos, so I just Yelped somewhere like 'Mexican seafood.'"

However, she had no idea her craving for seafood would land her in the hospital. It wasn't until she collapsed in the hallway, that her family rushed her to the emergency room. If Alicia didn't make it to the hospital when she did, she could have ended up in the ICU.

"They got my heart rate back to normal and my blood pressure up," Alicia recalls.

VIDEO: 80 sickened in Shigella outbreak linked to San Jose restaurant

The Santa Clara County Health Department says 80 people have become sick after eating at Mariscos San Juan restaurant in San Jose; 12 of them are in the ICU.

She is one of dozens who were sickened after eating at Mariscos San Juan in Downtown San Jose on North 4th Street. Some of those unsuspecting diners then passed on the infection to friends and family. As of Tuesday evening, a total of 80 cases had been reported.

The restaurant is expected to be closed for several days while health officials trace the source of the contamination.

Santa Clara County health officer Dr. Sara Cody said, "We're really looking at all different possibilities."

Officials believe someone preparing the food most likely spread the bacteria, so stool samples from employees will be collected and tested.

Alicia's parents want answers and they want the owner to be held accountable.

Alicia's father, Barry Ingram, told ABC7 News, "I was so angry because I feel that if anything, for their reputation, you think they would say, 'Ok, we're going to check into this.' But the doctor told us he's not being very compliant."

The Ingrams are doing what they can to protect themselves by routinely washing their hands, while Alicia recovers at home.

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