Clostridioides difficile, (often referred to as C. difficile or C. diff), is a bacterium that results in infection of your colon. This illness typically comes after the use of antibiotic medications and can result in diarrhea, life-threatening colon damage, fever, nausea, and a range of other symptoms. C. diff mostly comes from hospitals and other healthcare settings but they’re luckily less common due to improved prevention matters. However, it’s still useful to arm yourself with as much information as possible to ensure your safety. In this post, we will review what you need to know about C. diff infection and the elderly.
Antibiotics and Other Causes of C. diff in the Elderly
Antibiotics may be known for killing bad germs but they can also kill good germs that would protect your body from infections. C. diff bacteria most commonly comes from the use of antibiotics for more than a week. The antibiotics that most often lead to C. diff include:
Cephalosporins
Clindamycin
Fluoroquinolones
Penicillins
You may feel the effects of antibiotics for several months and if you come in contact with C. diff germs during this time, you can become very sick. There are several ways you can come in contact with these germs. These causes of C. diff in the elderly include:
Risk Factors for C. diff in the Elderly
In addition to antibiotics, there are other factors that can put you at risk for C. diff. The risk factors of C. diff infection in the elderly include:
Being age 65 or older
Being assigned female at birth
Staying in a healthcare facility
Having a weakened immune system
Having a serious illness (i.e. inflammatory bowel disease, chronic kidney disease) or medical procedure (gastrointestinal procedure, other abdominal surgeries)
Having a previous infection with C. diff
Download Our 10 Home Safety Tips Guide
Symptoms of C. diff in the Elderly
You can experience various complications for C. diff, including death if not treated promptly. C. diff symptoms in elderly include:
Watery diarrhea or frequent bowel movements
Abdominal cramping
Dehydration
Occasional blood or pus in the stool
Loss of appetite/weight loss
Nausea
Fever
Rapid heart rate
Kidney failure
Toxic megacolon
Bowel perforation
Treatment of C. diff in the Elderly
You can treat C. diff through antibiotics. These include:
Metronidazole
Vancomycin
Fidaxomicin
While many people recover from C. diff within two weeks of antibiotic treatment, many become reinfected and need additional therapy. Most infections reoccur within three weeks after stopping antibiotic treatment but some may occur two or three months later. That is why it’s important to get treatment immediately. Below are a few options for C. diff recovery in the elderly:
Avoiding unnecessary use of antibiotics or requesting a prescription for an antibiotic that can be taken for a shorter period of time
Washing your hands with soap and warm water after using the bathroom or coming in contact with possibly contaminated surfaces
Carefully disinfecting surfaces with chlorine bleach
Drinking plenty of fluids, including beverages with electrolytes, to prevent dehydration
Eating starchy foods (i.e. bread, potatoes, noodles, rice, oatmeal, crackers) to settle your stomach and stop loose stools
In extreme cases, consult a doctor about having a fecal transplant
