Clostridium Difficile Colitis Center - Waterloo, IA
Waterloo Gastroenterologist Doctors for Clostridium Difficile ColitisType of Physician: Gastroenterologist What is a Gastroenterologist? A subspecialty certification by the Board of Internal Medicine; practitioners focus on the stomach, intestines, colon, liver, and gallbladder (digestive organs). The gastroenterologist treats conditions such as abdominal pain, ulcers, diarrhea, cancer, and jaundice and they consult with surgeons when abdominal operations are indicated. Specialty: Gastroenterology Common Name: GI Doctor Gastroenterologist Doctors in Waterloo * Covenant Clinic Waterloo  Suresh K Reddy & Ravi Mallavarapu MDs  Suresh K Reddy & Ravi Mallavarapu MDs  Covenant Health Clinic Cedar Falls  Internists PC  Gastroenterologists PC  Gastroenterologists PC  Gastroenterologists PC  Gastroenterologists PC  Gastroenterologists PC  Gastroenterologists PC  Mason City Clinic GI  Mason City Clinic GI  Center for Digestive Diseases  Center for Digestive Diseases  Gastroenterology Associates of Iowa City PC  Gastroenterology Associates of Iowa City PC  Gastroenterology Associates of Iowa City PC  Gastroenterology Associates of Iowa City PC  McFarland Clinic Gastroenterology  McFarland Clinic Gastroenterology  McFarland Clinic Gastroenterology  McFarland Clinic Gastroenterology  McFarland Clinic Gastroenterology Waterloo, IowaUpcoming Local Events2012-06-02
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Clostridium Difficile Colitis (Antibiotic-Associated Colitis, C. difficile colitis)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:
They can be found on:
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 t... Recommended Reading Related to Clostridium Difficile Colitis (Antibiotic-Associated Colitis, C. difficile colitis)Stool Color & Texture Changes (Black, Red, Maroon, Green, Yellow, Gray, Tarry, Sticky) » What color is normal stool?Stool (feces) is most commonly brown in color, and many people become curious or concerned when the color of their stool changes. Most stool-to-stool changes in color have little meaning; however, some changes, particularly if the changes are consistent from stool-to-stool and not present in only one stool, can be important. What causes normal stool color?The color of stool is normally due to the presence of bile, specifically, the bilirubin in bile. Bilirubin is formed from hemoglobin after hemoglobin is released from red blood cells during their destruction, a part of the normal process of replacing the red blood cells in blood. The released hemoglobin is modified chemically and removed from the blood by the liver. In the liver the chemically changed hemoglobin (called bilirubin) is attached to other chemicals and secreted from the cells of the liver into bile. Depending on the conc... Other Related Clostridium Difficile Colitis ArticlesEmergency Contact for Waterloo
Nearby Waterloo Hospitals *Covenant Medical Center Allen Memorial Hospital Sartori Memorial Hospital Waverly Health Center Mental Health Institute Grundy County Memorial Hospital Buchanan County Health Center Mercy Hospital Oelwein Community Memorial Hospital Virginia Gay Hospital Featured Articles*Provider Directory Terms of Use: The WebMD 'Provider Directory' is provided by WebMD for use by the general public as a quick reference of information about Providers. The Provider Directory is not intended as a tool for verifying the credentials, qualifications, or abilities of any Provider contained therein. Inclusion in the Provider Directory does not imply recommendation or endorsement nor does omission in the Provider Directory imply WebMD disapproval. |
Suggested Reading on Clostridium Difficile Colitis (Antibiotic-Associated Colitis, C. difficile colitis) by Our Doctors
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Abdominal Pain
- Abdominal pain is pain in the belly and can be acute or chronic. Causes include inflammation, distention of an organ, and loss of the blood supply to an organ. Abdominal pain can reflect a major problem with one of the organs in the abdomen such as the appendix, gallbladder, large and small intestine, pancreas, liver, colon, duodenum, and spleen.
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Diarrhea
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Crohn's Disease
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