They may be found on items you touch such as bed linens, bed rails, bathroom fixtures and medical equipment. You can become infected if you touch a surface contaminated with feces and then touch your mouth, or if you eat or drink something that is contaminated.
Healthcare workers, staff and visitors can spread the infection to you if their hands have come in contact with the C. You cannot get C. The best way to stop the spread of C. Use an alcohol-based hand rub ABHR, also known as hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available. If you are admitted to a health care facility and develop symptoms, such as diarrhea, that are either confirmed or suspected to be from C. You will also be put on contact precautions to try to prevent spreading the infection to others.
Contact precautions are actions taken by health care facilities to try to prevent the spread of C. Contact precautions include placing all patients with suspected and confirmed cases of C. If single rooms are not available, patients may share a room if they have the same infection.
Before entering the room of a patient who has or is suspected of having C. When this happens, C. Once out of the body, the bacteria turn into resistant cells called spores. These can survive for long periods on hands, surfaces such as toilets , objects and clothing unless they're thoroughly cleaned, and can infect someone else if they get into their mouth. Someone with a C. You can reduce your risk of picking it up or spreading it by practising good hygiene, both at home and in healthcare settings.
Home Illnesses and conditions Infections and poisoning Clostridium difficile. Clostridium difficile. About clostridium difficile Clostridium difficile, also known as C.
This page covers: Symptoms of a C. When to get medical advice Treatment for C. The most common symptoms are: watery diarrhoea , which can be bloody painful tummy cramps feeling sick signs of dehydration , such as a dry mouth , headaches and peeing less often than normal a high temperature fever of above 38C Who's most at risk of C.
The colon carries waste to be expelled from the body. They can begin reproducing in the small intestine. When they reach the large intestine colon , they can release tissue-damaging toxins. These toxins destroy cells, produce patches of inflammatory cells and cellular debris, and cause watery diarrhea. When the bacteria are outside the colon — virtually anywhere in the environment — they are in a dormant state, or essentially shutdown. This enables them to survive for a long time in any number of places:.
When bacteria once again find their way into a person's digestive system, they "wake up" and can begin to produce infection again. The ability of dormant C. Although people who have no known risk factors have gotten sick from C. Your intestines contain about trillion bacterial cells and between to 2, different kinds of bacteria, many of which help protect your body from infection.
When you take antibiotics to treat an infection, these drugs tend to destroy some of the helpful bacteria in your body in addition to the bacteria causing the infection.
Without enough helpful bacteria to keep it in check, C. While any antibiotic can be implicated, the antibiotics that most often lead to C. Proton pump inhibitors, a type of medicine used to reduce stomach acid, also may increase your risk of C.
The majority of C. In hospitals and nursing homes, C. Certain medical conditions or procedures may make you more susceptible to a C. Older age is a risk factor. In one study, the risk of becoming infected with C. Having one C. Women are more likely than men to have C. To help prevent the spread of C. If you have a friend or family member in a hospital or nursing home, follow recommended practices. Ask questions if you observe caregivers or other people not following guidelines.
Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. Research Clinical Trials Journal Articles. Resources Find an Expert. For You Children Patient Handouts. What is C. What causes C. Who is at risk for C.
You are at more likely to get a C. The symptoms of C. How are C. What are the treatments for C. Can C.
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