C-diff

November 30, 2008

Taking precautions to avoid C-diff, things you may never have thought of that

increased chances of contimination. Here is more presented on statictics and

how to avoid it:

Routine cleaning isn't enough to protect you from C. diff. Researchers at Case

Western Reserve and the Cleveland VA Medical Center found that after routine

cleaning at a hospital, 78 percent of surfaces were still contaminated. To kill

the germ, you need to use bleach. When surfaces are not properly disinfected,

the results can be deadly. At Jefferson Medical Center in Philadelphia,

three consecutive patients occupying the same room came down with C. diff. One

died.

Staffs at many U.S. hospitals are woefully uninformed about what to do. One

study reported that 39 percent of medical personnel didn't know that C. diff

could be spread on stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs and other equipment. About

two-thirds of medical staff were unaware they should clean their hands with soap

and water, because alcohol sanitizers don't kill this superbug. What can you do

to protect yourself? Insist that everyone treating you clean their hands before

touching you.

Clean your own hands thoroughly before eating. Do not touch your hands to your

lips. Do not place your food or utensils on any surface except your plate. Ask

family to bring wipes containing bleach to clean the items around your bed. When

you leave the hospital, assume any belongings you bring home are contaminated.

Do not mix clothes from the hospital with the family wash; wash with bleach.

Regular laundry detergents do not kill C. diff.

If you are visiting someone in the hospital, be careful about eating in the

cafeteria or a restaurant where the staff go in their scrubs or uniforms. These

uniforms could be covered in invisible superbugs. More than 20 percent of

nurses' uniforms had C. diff on them at the end of a workday, according to one

study. Imagine sliding into a restaurant booth after a nurse has left the germ

on the table or the seat. You could easily pick it up on your hands and then

ingest it with your sandwich.

Poor hospital hygiene and lax practices such as wearing scrubs in public are

putting all of us at risk. That's why I founded RID, the Committee to Reduce

Infection Deaths, so that other families won't have to go through what Grace

Voros' family suffered.

FYI,

Lottie

January 2, 2009

Hi Lottie: So glad your home again. Also, Thank You for all this information

about C-Diff. I know people who have had it, but they picked it up well in the

hospital for some other type of ailment or surgery. Everyone was concerned and

praying for you. It is definitely a scary thing. God Bless You and Take Care.

Suzzie

From: Lottie Duthu <lotajam@...>

Subject: [ ] c-diff

" CML " < >

Date: Friday, January 2, 2009, 1:21 PM

Dear Group,

I am back home recuperating from c-diff as most of you are aware by now. Little

did I know when I posted the article on the subject that I would become a victim

to it. None of us are immune. I experienced unbelievable pain and nausea. What

drove me to go to the hospital was the constant diarrhea and vomiting, I could

keep nothing down. I spent 9 days in " lock down " mode where I was not even

allowed to walk down the halls.

I heard c-diff mentioned by the ER doctor, but there were no tests run at the

time, so I was not diagnosed until a day or so later. I was treated with

Flora-Q, Phlagyl, Dilaudid (2-1/2 times stronger than any opiod), Demerol and

Morphine. The one thing I remember was being in a room closed off with a sign on

my door that I was neutropenic and 3 other notices pasted on my door to read

before entering. I also spent the holidays for the most part, alone. I made

Jimmy leave to be available for the carpenter renovating my kitchen, and to go

and be with the family, he couldn't do anything for me. I was given transfusions

in the middle of the night because my blood counts had crashed. My SKI 606 was

taken away and as many times as I asked if anyone called MDACC, I never got a

clear cut answer because no one called. Little did the nurse know that one of

the meds given me every night was like cement in my colon and I suffered the

consequences. He was only

following orders.

The following information, in addition to what has already been posted, comes

from an excellent source - Web MD and I think it very important that we all

become acquainted with the name and the source of this horrible disease:

http://www.webmd. com/news/ 20080530/ c-diff-epidemic- what-you- must-know?

page=3

A recent report shows that adult C. diff hospitalizations doubled between 2000

and 2005 to about 300,000 hospitalizations a year. That's more hospitalizations

than are seen with MRSA, which sends about 126,000 Americans to the hospital

each year.There are probably half a million U.S. cases of C. diff infection each

year.

And yes, it is an epidemic: The infection rate is going up by about 10% a year.

But the death rate is going up even faster, says a Zilberberg, MD, adjunct

professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and president of the

EviMed Research Group. There are actually three ongoing C. diff epidemics. One

is in hospitals. Another is in the community. And a third is in livestock.

All C. diff strains are resistant to many of the antibiotics normally used to

treat other infections. In fact, that's the problem. C. diff most often strikes

people whose intestinal flora have been disrupted by antibiotic treatment. But

most C. diff strains remain sensitive to Flagyl and vancomycin, the drugs

normally used to treat this infection. (Am I lucky, or what, I am highly

allergic to Vancomycin.) That left only one drug, Flagyl. When the NAP1 strain

-- which has been around for at least 30 years -- developed fluoroquinolone

resistance. This resistance, plus what Mc calls the strain's " hypertoxin

production, " may explain why this strain has taken off.

a.. In 2005, Canadian researchers bought 53 packages of beef and seven packages

of veal from five grocery stores in Ontario and in Quebec. One out of five

packages carried C. diff. Two-thirds of the C. diff isolates were similar to the

NAP1 strain. C. diff isolates from human patients are quite similar to isolates

found in pigs and cattle. Some of the pig isolates are almost indistinguishable

from human isolates.

a.. I want to thank all of you who called and sent cards, I am humbled by your

sincerity and concern for my well-being. You are all a large part of my CML

life, throwing me a lifeline at every crisis. There is no way I can respond to

everyone, but I do want to acknowledge what part you played in keeping my

spirits up. Thank you. I can only reciprocate by returning my love to everyone

who prayed for me and sent their best wishes.

a.. xoxoxoxo

a.. Lottie

January 2, 2009

Welcome back Lottie, We all missed you, I was nervous that one of our Warrior

Experts was Down but not Out. Best wishes and good health for the new year for

you and your Jimmy.

Eva

From: Lottie Duthu

Sent: Friday, January 02, 2009 1:21 PM

CML