December 3, 2018 | Category: Uncategorized

Reviewed by Craig Sande, MD

When we think of the battle between “good vs bad,” we don’t often think of the little guys in our guts.

But, maybe we should.

You, in fact, have trillions of bacteria residing in your own body — some that do their part to maintain the peace and some that disrupt it.

Helpful microbial species, particularly those in the gastrointestinal tract, can produce required vitamins, stimulate the immune system and even detoxify certain otherwise harmful chemicals.

Sometimes the balance falls out of alignment, and the bad guys start to run the show.

Enter Clostridium difficile, commonly known as C. diff.

Each year, the deadly bug infects more than 450,000 Americans. According to a 2015 report, almost all of those cases are caused by an overuse of antibiotics. While we expect our antibiotics to help cure what ails us, they often come with collateral damage: all of our good bacteria.

With a void left by the loss of normal intestinal bacteria, C. diff often seizes the opportune moment — especially in patients with weakened immune systems who are ill-prepared to handle the added stress. Maybe you’ve heard of C. diff or maybe you haven’t, but here are some interesting facts to get you up-to-date:

C. diff is on the rise

According to the Centers for Disease Control, C. diff infections in the United States increased by 8 percent between 2015 and 2016 alone.

Traditionally, these cases affect older adults in hospitals or long-term care facilities. However, recently, C. diff has increasing impacted younger, healthy individuals who have not been exposed to these types of environments.

Even worse, a strain that emerged in 2000 is more easily transmitted than others and often causes a more severe infection.

Probiotics may help keep C. diff at bay while on antibiotics

A 2016 study suggests that probiotics may be effective in reducing the risk of C. diff in hospitalized patients.

Probiotics are good bacteria that are either the same or similar to the bacteria already living in your body. They can be found in some yogurts, some cheeses, sauerkraut and kimchi — or as over-the-counter supplements. But, it’s important to remember not all probiotics are the same.

If you are considering dietary supplement, it’s best to check with your health care professional first.

C. diff is a pretty hardy bacteria.

Even though scientists discovered C. diff in 1935, they didn’t recognize it as the major cause of antibiotic-related diarrhea until more than 40 years later.

As the bacteria passes through its life cycle, it transforms into the spore stage. There, C. diff doesn’t cause any issues but remains extremely hard to kill.

Disinfectants, such as hand sanitizer, doesn’t bother them — and even some of the most powerful antibiotics do little damage to the hardy spore.

The bacteria begins to cause trouble, however, when its spores are inadvertently transmitted to hands and food. After they become consumed by another person, the spores reactivate. In most cases, the good bacteria can keep the C. diff in check.

However, if your good bacteria has been killed off by a recent dose of antibiotics, C. diff can flourish due to lack of competition.

Though the most common symptom is diarrhea, it can lead to life-threatening inflammation

Symptoms of C. diff can be wide-ranging due to the fact that people’s bodies respond to the bacteria differently.

In its mildest form, the bacteria produces diarrhea about three times a day, usually accompanied by abdominal cramps. Modern Clostridium difficile-associated disease causes profuse diarrhea, abdominal pain and fever.

In severe cases, however, blood pressure may fall to critically low levels, severe diarrhea can lead to dehydration, and even intestinal perforation and life threatening infection can develop.

For more information about C. diff or to discuss your digestive health needs, please reach out to Dr. Craig Sande or one of our other physicians at three locations throughout Reno and Carson City.

Dr. Sande is a Reno native and the fifth of six children raised by Naomi and John Sande. Medicine was not exactly the career path he had in mind when he left Reno to do his undergrad at Stanford University. He initially considered a career in electrical engineering, but after further exploration, he decided to follow his father’s footsteps and entered the field of medicine. Dr. Sande has a special clinical interest in inflammatory bowel disease, such as Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, gastroesophageal reflux disease and esophageal motility disorders.