Babe Ruth
06/23/2011
Microbiology
Clostridium difficile
I. What is Clostridium difficile and why is it relevant to us? A.“Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is a bacterium that may develop due to the prolonged use of antibiotics during healthcare treatments.” 1 B. “Clostridium difficile is an obligate anaerobe or microaerophilic, gram-positive, spore- forming, rod-shaped bacillus.” 2
II. What are the signs and symptoms of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI)? A. C. difficile can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon (pseudomembranous colitis). 3 1. Mild to moderate C. difficile infections may cause watery diarrhea 3 or more times per day for more …show more content…
“Frequently Asked Questions about Clostridium difficile for Healthcare Providers.” Healthcare-associated Infections. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 25 Nov. 2010. Web. 19 June 2011. <http://www.cdc.gov/HAI/organisms/cdiff/Cdiff_faqs_HCP.html>.
2. Lewis, Sharon L., et al. Medical-Surgical Nursing: Assessment and Management of Clinical Problems. 8th ed. St. Louis: Elsevier, 2011. Print.
3. The Mayo Clinic Staff. “C. difficile.” MayoClinic.com. Mayo Clinic for Medical Education and Research (MFMER). 03 Nov. 2010. Web. 14 June, 2011. <http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/c-difficile/DS00736>.
4. “Clostridium difficile infection.” FamilyDoctor.org. American Academy of Family Physicians. Feb. 2011. Web. 21 June 2011. <http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/infections/common/bacterial/939.printerview.html>.
5. Vorrick, Linda J., MD. “Pseudomembranous Colitis.” Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Apr. 2010. Web. 22 June 2011. <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000259.htm>.
6. Van Leeuwen, Anne M., and Debra J. Poelhuis-Leth. Davis’s Comprehensive Handbook of Laboratory and Diagnostic Tests with Nursing Implications. 3rd ed. Philadelphia: F.A. Davis Company, 2009.