In a 2011 outbreak of the bacteria Clostridium difficile, around 29,000 people died within a month of diagnosis. Apparently, almost half a million people in the United States got infected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they have developed a tracking process on the various C. difficile infections in order to prevent the life threatening infection in medical facilities across the country.
Dr. Michael Bell, deputy director of healthcare quality promotion at the CDC's National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases said at a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) press conference, "Infections with C. difficile have become increasingly common over the last few decades, and are seen in patients in health-care facilities as well as people in their communities."
Well, what exactly is Clostridium difficile? It is a gram positive anaerobic bacillus that produces toxins and is the common cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea or AAD. Clinical manifestations include watery diarrhea, fever, nausea, loss of appetite and abdominal pain. Commonly, it is transmitted through the feces.
The use of antibiotics poses threats to the body's natural balance of natural bacteria in the colon. They damage the natural flora that protects the colon hence allowing C. difficile to take over. Dr. Bell added, "If we can improve antibiotic prescribing, we expect to see rates of C. difficile infection improve dramatically. This means taking antibiotics only when necessary and for as long as necessary."
The CDC provided ways to prevent C. difficile infection and outbreak through using antibiotics judiciously, using contact precautions when dealing with patients with the infection, disinfecting the environment and recommending infection control practices.
Also, for treating the infection, they also use antibiotics but in the long run, it is difficult to restore the colon's normal flora making possible reoccurrence of the infection.
Dr. Bell added, "One in five patients has at least one relapse that requires treatment. About 55 percent of health care-associated C. difficile infections and 80 percent of the deaths that occur because of it happen in people 65 years of age and older."
It boils down to proper hygience and knowledge in handling patients with infections.