Clostridium
Difficile Bacteria Also Found At Calderón
Guardia Hospital
The bacteria Clostridium Difficile which has
been a problem at the San Juan de Dios
hospital is now also a problem at the
Calderón Guardia, with four cases of
infection. The four are being kept in the
hospital's isolation unit, in addition to
the ten that are still hospitalized at the
San Juan de Dios.
A total of 19 people have died from the
bacteria infection that was first detected
last year at the San Juan de Dios and then
at the nearby Blanco Cervantes hospital.
Health officials have been working hard at
cleaning up the medical centres,
disinfecting all areas of the hospital to
reduce contamination and infection and only
last week did Health officials rule out that
the bacteria was in the water system at the
hospital and the source of the infection.
Clostridium difficile [klo-STRID-ee-um
dif-uh-SEEL] is a bacterium that causes
diarrhea and more serious intestinal
conditions such as colitis.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC), C. difficile is
primarily associated with healthcare
settings, but has also recently been
identified in some retail meats, including
beef, pork, turkey and ready-to-eat meats.
It is not known how these bacteria got into
the meat.
The CDC says that the majority of human
cases of C. difficile occur in association
with inpatient stays in hospitals and
long-term care facilities, the majority of
cases occur among the elderly, but other
people, including children, with other
illnesses or conditions that weaken the
immune system are at greater risk of
acquiring this disease.
Antibiotic use to treat other infections is
a major risk factor for C. difficile. These
drugs decrease the body’s natural protection
against C. difficile.
The symptoms of C. difficile are:
- watery diarrhea (at least three bowel
movements per day for two or more days)
- fever
- loss of appetite
- nausea
- abdominal pain/tenderness
C. difficile is generally treated for 10
days with antibiotics.
|
