OT- C. Diff on rise article

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Monday, November 23, 2009

Deadly Stomach Bug Making Inroads Outside Hospitals

Study finds growing number of C. difficile infections among elderly

(HealthDay News) -- A potentially deadly stomach infection is on the rise

outside of hospital settings, especially among the elderly, researchers warn.

The germ that causes the condition, known as Clostridium difficile, can create

serious symptoms, including diarrhea and an inflammation of the colon, that can

be fatal. The infection can be difficult to treat because the bacteria have

become immune to some drugs.

The bacteria have been found mostly in hospitals, nursing homes and similar

facilities.

" Recent reports have shown increasing incidence and severity of C. difficile

infection, especially in the older population, " Dr. Darrell Pardi, a Mayo Clinic

gastroenterologist and senior author of a study on the situation, said in a Mayo

news release. " Our study examines why the cases are on the rise and who is

getting the infection. "

The findings were presented recently at the American College of Gastroenterology

annual meeting, in San Diego.

The researchers examined 385 cases of disease caused by the germ from 1991 to

2005 to see if more were being acquired in places other than a hospital.

They found that people who got sick outside of a hospital were younger -- a

median of 50 years old versus 72 -- and had less severe cases.

" The growing incidence of C. difficile infection in both inpatient and

outpatient settings could be linked to the increasing usage of antibiotics and

to the possibility that C. difficile may be getting resistant to some of our

newer antibiotics, " Pardi said.

Health experts have gotten better at spotting the bacteria in hospitals and

nursing homes, he said, but " now doctors and patients need to be more aware that

you can get this infection as an outpatient and that a case of diarrhea or

abdominal cramps at home could become serious. "

The germ kills an estimated 5,000 people in the United States each year,

according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

eileen