Want more iVillage? Sign up for our
Newsletters
Clostridium difficile Colitis - Overview
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
What is Clostridium difficile colitis?
Clostridium difficile (also called C. difficile) are bacteria
that can cause swelling and irritation of the
large intestine, or colon
. This
inflammation, known as colitis, can cause diarrhea,
fever, and abdominal cramps.
You may get C. difficile colitis if you take antibiotics. C. difficile also can be passed from person to person. The infection is most common in people who are taking antibiotics while in the hospital. It is especially common in older people in hospitals and nursing homes.
Colitis caused by C. difficile can be mild or serious. In rare cases, it can cause death.
What causes it?
The large intestine normally contains many good bacteria that keep it healthy and do not cause disease. If you take antibiotics to kill bacteria that do cause disease, your medicine may also kill the good bacteria. This may allow C. difficile bacteria to grow in your large intestine and release harmful substances called toxins. Experts also think that, in some cases, antibiotics may cause these toxins to be released.
When the toxins are released, the colon becomes inflamed.
What are the symptoms?
C. difficile colitis may cause:
- Diarrhea (may contain blood or pus).
- Abdominal (belly) cramps.
- Fever.
- Dehydration.
You also may have an abnormal heartbeat.
Symptoms usually begin 4 to 10 days after you start taking antibiotics. But they might not start until a few weeks after you stop taking antibiotics.
The illness may be so mild that you have some diarrhea but no fever or cramps. In rare cases, a person who is very ill may develop a hole, or perforation, in the intestine. A perforation is a medical emergency and requires surgery.
How is it diagnosed?
Your doctor may think you have C. difficile colitis if both of the following are true:
- You have symptoms of the illness.
- You are taking, or you recently took, antibiotics.
To confirm the diagnosis, a stool sample will be tested to look for the toxins that C. difficile produces.
Also, your doctor may look at the colon through a lighted instrument (sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy). In the most serious cases of C. difficile colitis, patches of yellow and white tissue may form on the inside of the colon.
How is it treated?
First, if possible, your doctor will have you stop taking the antibiotic that caused the infection. Your doctor may then treat C. difficile colitis with an antibiotic other than the one that caused the infection. You will likely take metronidazole or vancomycin by mouth.
If you have severe diarrhea, you also may be given fluids to prevent dehydration and to make sure you have the right amount of minerals (electrolytes) in your blood. Sometimes the infection comes back a few days after you stop treatment. If this happens, you may be given another antibiotic.
In rare cases, a person might need surgery to remove part of the intestines. This would happen only if you did not get better with antibiotics and you developed a perforation in your intestines.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: August 3, 2010 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine Peter J. Kahrilas, MD - Gastroenterology | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
Welcome to Care Circle, an exclusive tool to help you take care of yourself and your loved ones. Here's how it works:
- Create profiles for yourself and your loved ones.
- Select the topics and conditions that interest each of you.
- Get customized news updates, original content, tools, and expert advice for each Care Circle member delivered directly to your personalized homepage.
The information you input is strictly private; you choose who has access to your Care Circle.
How do I add myself or someone else to my care circle?
Click on "Add someone." Fill out the short profile. Choose an avatar. Select the topics and conditions that interest this person from the pulldown menu. You can select as many as you want, but you must choose at least one. Click on "Add Someone" again. You should start getting updates immediately.
How do I save content to my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab of the person for whom you're saving content. Put your cursor over the piece of content that you want to save; a disk icon will appear in the righthand corner. Click on the disk and the piece of content will be moved to a save folder.
How do I add additional topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Add More to Follow," select additional topics and conditions.
How do I delete topics and conditions for someone in my Care Circle?
Click on "Manage My Care Circle." Select the tab for the person whose preferences you'd like to update. Under "Follows," scroll over the topic or condition you want to delete. An "X" should appear on the righthand side. Click on the "X" and the topic or condition will be deleted from the list.
To manage your Care Circle, Please
Sign In.
