Clostridium difficile colitis (C. difficile) Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment by MedicineNet.com

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Clostridium Difficile Colitis
(Antibiotic-Associated Colitis, C. difficile Colitis, C. diff, C diff,)

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Medical Author: Dennis Lee, M.D.
Medical Editor: Jay Marks, M.D.

Featured C. difficile patient discussions on effective treatments

"I was given Clindamycin prophylactically for a dental procedure and developed C. difficile a few days afterward. My internist quickly diagnosed C. difficile and put me on Flagyl, which has helped somewhat, but weeks later I'm still not back to normal. A friend recommended probiotics, and I'm going to try that next. From the comments here and my friend's testimony (she had a severe case), that sounds like the best thing to do."

"My wife picked up c. diff. while in the hospital for pneumonia. It's a long story, but she had 3 bouts of it. It's been 28 days since her last vancomycin capsule and so far so good. On the last day of her medication I started giving her calcium disodium EDTA because I found a study that showed it neutralized toxins from Clostridium perfringens (gangrene) and I thought perhaps it would do the same for C. diff. The first couple of weeks that she was taking it she had no diarrhea, but her stool would occasionally have the cdiff smell. For the past couple of weeks no smell and now in the last 4-5 days the stool is well formed and no longer soft (sorry to be so graphic). I am giving her four capsules per day (total 1g calcium disodium EDTA, 1.2g malic acid, and 400mg garlic). I would love to know if this is what is working for her because it is so cheap and safe but there is no way I will withhold it just to find out."

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Patient Discussions are not a substitute for professional medical advice, or treatment.
See the disclaimer at the bottom of the comments page.

What is Clostridium difficile (C. difficile)?

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a bacterium that is related to the bacterium that cause tetanus and botulism. The C. difficile bacterium has two forms, an active, infectious form that cannot survive in the environment for prolonged periods, and a nonactive, "noninfectious" form, called a spore, that can survive in the environment for prolonged periods. Although spores cannot cause infection directly, when they are ingested they transform into the active, infectious form.

C. difficile spores are found frequently in:

hospitals,
nursing homes,
extended care facilities, and
nurseries for newborn infants.

They can be found on:

bedpans,
furniture,
toilet seats,
linens,
telephones,
stethoscopes,
fingernails,
rings (jewelry),
floors,
infants' rooms, and
diaper pails.

They even can be carried by pets. Thus, these environments are a ready source for infection with C. difficile.

What is Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) colitis?

Antibiotic-associated (C. difficile) colitis is an infection of the colon caused by C. difficile that occurs primarily among individuals who have been using antibiotics. It is the most common infection acquired by patients while they are in the hospital. More than three million C. difficile infections occur in hospitals in the US each year. After a stay of only two days in a hospital, 10% of patients will develop infection with C. difficile. C. difficile also may be acquired outside of hospitals in the community. It is estimated that 20,000 infections with C. difficile occur in the community each year in the U.S.