Clostridium Difficle Infection Essay
Clostridium Difficle Infection Essay
During his stay in the hospital, he developed crampy abdominal pain and loose stools. He also became dehydrated. Several tests were performed to ascertain the cause. The pathology results of stool specimen revealed clostridium difficle infection. Following the diagnosis, the nurse, who was a part of the team taking care of him, met him and announced the results.
Clostridium difficle infection is a commonly associated infection in many health care settings in various countries including Scotland (Health Protection Scotland, 2009). The patient is managed in isolation because of the high rates and chances of transmission. However, isolation itself is associated with significant physical and mental morbidity and thus health practitioners need to keep this in mind while evaluating and managing patients with Clostridium infection (Health Protection Scotland, 2009). Hospital-acquired C.difficle infection is an accident, or rather a failure on the part medical fraternity to prevent an acquisition of the disease by the patient who is admitted otherwise for some other cause (Perrow, 2004). Clostridium Difficle Infection Essay.The patient and their family members need empathy and education about the nature and course of the disease and this can be delivered only through appropriate communication skills so that neither the informant nor the recipient is at stress. Infection with C.difficle is not only associated with significant morbidity and mortality, but also with significant stigma medically and socially (Health Protection Scotland, 2009). I have seen several outbreaks of this infection in this hospital either due to lack of proper measures on the part of health care team or due to innocent transmission of the infection from one person to another. Whatever was the cause, the disease had severe impact on the patient and their family members in several ways, especially emotionally. Depression, anger, and fear were common emotional outbursts on disclosure of the diagnosis. While working in the department, I observed excellent support and care from the health practitioners. .
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Treatments Clostridium difficile associated disease will resolve when the patient discontinues taking the antibiotics to which he/she has been previously exposed (Nipa, 2010). Administration of a different antibiotic is used to treat the infection (Grossman, 2010). The infection can usually be treated with an appropriate course of about 10 days of antibiotics including metronidazole or vancomycin administered orally (Nipa, 2010). On occasion intravenous vancomycin may be necessary (Gould, 2010). The nurse should ensure patients are not only taking the newly prescribed antibiotic, but also responding to the treatment by showing a decrease in symptoms. Symptoms can recur despite antibiotic therapy, close monitoring is essential. In order to avoid risk of further complications, nursing interventions would include careful assessment of white blood cell count, temperature, and hydration status; meticulous skin care and assistance with bowel elimination given the loose frequent stools; and management of abdominal discomfort (Grossman, 2010).
Patient Teaching Clostridium difficile is a particularly challenging and difficult infection to control. Because Clostridium difficile spores can live on dry surfaces for long periods of time, teaching must include the importance of cleaning surfaces and
C. difficile infection (CDI) is a dangerous healthcare-associated infection as well as a growing burden, especially with the appearance of more potent strains in the early 2000s. Clostridium difficile was initially identified as possessing the ability to initiate pseudomembranous colitis in the late 1970s. Asymptomatic colonization in healthy adults has been detected in only 3% of individuals, whereas the pervasiveness of such colonization among patients in long-term-care facilities is approximately 50%. People colonized with C. difficile act as a reservoir of contamination by infecting the environment with C. difficile spores, consequently leading to an increase of the pathogen on the hand… Clostridium Difficle Infection Essay.
