Another 'Super Bug' spreading..C. difficile.

[Reddogs]

I was listening to the morning news when they came across with the report on a new instestanal super bug that is spreading, I found some info on it. Anyone heard more on it.

"....An increasingly dangerous intestinal super bug is sending ripples through the medical community. The disease, caused by a pathogen known as C. diff, thrives in unsanitary hospital conditions and in response to antibiotic treatments.

Treating C. diff poses tremendous challenges, as the newer strain is resistant to almost all antibiotics, and powerful enough to cause lasting intestinal damage, colon removal, even death.

....Mortality rates for C. diff ballooned, as well, according to Dr. L. Clifford McDonald of the CDC. Historically, mortality rates were less than 2 percent, but now appear to be 6 percent or more. “It’s concerning that you see this convergence of resistance and virulence,” McDonald said. “Everything started going haywire.”

Researchers now think that on any given day, more than 7,000 hospitalized patients are infected with C. difficile. They also say that on any one day, an average of 300 patients may die from the infection.

The numbers from 648 hospitals, presented today at a conference of the Association of Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, show that 13 out of every 1,000 patients are now infected, more than 60 percent higher than previous estimates by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. ...."

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=6223223&page=1

http://stanford.wellsphere.com/wellp...ug-on-the-rise

[Neil D]

I wonder if there is a biological enemy of C.diff and if it can reside in the gut of an individual without harm.....

,,,any biological or doctor able to answer this?

[Jeannieb43]

I was the unfortunate victim of C.diff after my knee replacement surgery three years ago.

I see this news item says it comes from "unsanitary hospital conditions or in response to antibiotics." Well, I didn't notice anything unsanitary at my hospital, but I did have to receive antibiotics for several weeks. On the way home from the hospital four weeks after surgery, I began vomiting, and had to go back into the hospital E.R. and was admitted (by my gastroenterologist) for another overnight stay for IVs to kill the C.diff. Had to take Flagyl also, as I recall, along with some other oral meds, after going home.

This medicine business is a real skill. I'm so thankful to have wonderful doctors.

[Pockey]

I wonder if there is a biological enemy of C.diff and if it can reside in the gut of an individual without harm.....

,,,any biological or doctor able to answer this?

I wouldn't say there is one specific biological enemy of C.diff. C.diff is everywhere, in the ground, surfaces, etc. It's even in our intestines right now. But there is a balance of bacteria in our guts that keeps things in check. The problem arises when C.diff overgrows. This can be caused by prolonged, overuse, or misuse of antibiotics, and also through exposure.

[Amelia]

I have noticed there are now PSA ads on TV about NOT asking your doctor for antibiotics when suffering from a virus. Good ads but should have been running a long time ago.

There has been a pretty nasty virus running around our company of late. I had it about 2 months ago. I called in sick for 1 day because I couldn't see forcing myself on the public looking and sounding like I did. My boss was quick to say, go to the doc and get some antibiotics. I told her no, it was just the virus. But there are people at work that did just that. I constantly wonder why the doctors give in to these people and give them the antiB's?

[Neil D]

Originally Posted By: Neil D

I wonder if there is a biological enemy of C.diff and if it can reside in the gut of an individual without harm.....

,,,any biological or doctor able to answer this?

I wouldn't say there is one specific biological enemy of C.diff. C.diff is everywhere, in the ground, surfaces, etc. It's even in our intestines right now. But there is a balance of bacteria in our guts that keeps things in check. The problem arises when C.diff overgrows. This can be caused by prolonged, overuse, or misuse of antibiotics, and also through exposure.

At one point in time, some scientist were considering using natural preditors of various bacteria to combat certain illness'. I wonder if this is one that would work....

[Reddogs]

Here is what one of brethren from Canada posted on this:

"...C. difficile swept through Québec hospitals in recent years with a high mortality rate. It made the SARS outbreak in Toronto look like small potatoes, but the media didn't carry the story, either intentionally or through ignorance. There's lots of damage control in the big hospitals (Risk Management) and the public is blissfully unaware.

I believe the main culprit is antibiotics, especially those wrongly prescribed. Antibiotics wipe out good & bad bugs (flora) in the gut. In an already ill/weak (immunocompromised) patient it can be deadly. As I recall, one of the safer effective treatments was potent acidophilus preparations (boosted yogurt) as found in all health food stores. Many people take these today to balance a candida (yeast fungus) overgrowth condition which arises from antibiotic use and other lifestyle indiscretions...."

[Pockey]

I have noticed there are now PSA ads on TV about NOT asking your doctor for antibiotics when suffering from a virus. Good ads but should have been running a long time ago.

There has been a pretty nasty virus running around our company of late. I had it about 2 months ago. I called in sick for 1 day because I couldn't see forcing myself on the public looking and sounding like I did. My boss was quick to say, go to the doc and get some antibiotics. I told her no, it was just the virus. But there are people at work that did just that. I constantly wonder why the doctors give in to these people and give them the antiB's?

You rock. I mean seriously. If more folks had your common sense we wouldn't be in this mess. Your question is a great one. The reasons docs give in to patient's request (demands) for antibiotics is multifactorial:

Could be a customer service type thing, not wanting to upset the patient, lose the patient. Or a time management thing, not wanting to take the extra time to explain a virus vs. bacteria when it's quicker and easier to just write an abx. Could be uncertainty about the diagnosis, so "just in case" will write the abx. Also, this ties into worrying about lawsuits in a bad outcome so will just write the abx in case the patient ends up worse when they were diagnosed with a virus. Also, drug reps influence prescription behaviour. They come by, give free junk (pens, lunch for the staff etc.) and plant the seeds of prescription writing behaviour.

Drug resistant bacteria is real and is a nightmare. What's worse is the pharm companies don't spend much of their funds on research and development of new antibiotics because it's not as profitable as other medications. They get more money if they develop a cholesterol medication that someone is prescribed every day for the rest of their life, versus an antibiotic that someone may only take for ten days once a year. So the war against drug resistant bacteria is being lost, and this problem will probably only get worse until the end days.

[Pockey]

At one point in time, some scientist were considering using natural preditors of various bacteria to combat certain illness'. I wonder if this is one that would work....

You're totally right. That's how antibiotics were discovered. They are derived from nature, mostly from fungi/yeast. Not to be gross but that's why a lot of people get fungal infections when they're on antibiotics. The normal "flora" (bacteria) gets wiped out and so the yeast/fungus takes over and overgrows. Again, it's a balance that keeps things in check.

[Tallmark]

Many people think that just because we have SDA on the front of a hospital, that somehow we are different than the doctors of the world. We are not different, my brothers and sisters. EGW said that our docs were supposed to be different, not prescribing drugs, but giving fresh air, water, and a proper diet. We didn't drop the ball, we threw it away. You can avoid a lot of problems if you eat a vegan diet, exercise, get sunshine, drink a gallon of water a day, avoid shots and drugs. If you have had more than 5 cold shots within any decade, your chances of getting Alzheimer's increases 400%!!!!! Did your doctor tell you that? No, because they're never taught such things. Consuming dairy increases the risk of breast cancer in women and prostrate cancer in men (notmilk.com).

The weirdest part of this whole mess is that people ask doctors if certain foods are good or bad for them. They don't know. They just repeat back to you what the AMA has told them to say. Docs are going on TV and promoting health books, yet they're lucky to have had 3 weeks training in nutrition in their whole medical school. Talk about the blind leading the blind. If anyone has read "Natural Cures They Don't Want You to Know" by Kevin Trudeau, then you'd understand this. The AMA controls doctors. The AMA is in business to make money, not cure diseases. There's a war on cancer. A war on AIDS, a war on muscular dystrophy (led by Jerry Lewis). To quote Dr. Phil: "How's that working out for ya?" People everywhere are wearing pink ribbons to supposedly fight breast cancer, yet no one talks about the cause. BTW, mammograms increase the chances of getting breast cancer by 5% exponentially (that means that when you get the first one, your chances of getting it are 5% of 100= 95. The next time it's 5% of 95. Catch my drift?)

I'll be following my mentor Jack LaLanne. I'll be 100 years young, in the gym lifting heavy weights, driving, and doing whatever physical activity I wish to pursue. I go in for check ups, but I would never let them treat me if I had a disease.

[carolaa]

I've talked to people over age 90 who say their secret for being so healthy at that age is staying away from doctors.

On the other hand, the wealthy who can afford good medical care tend to live longer than the poor.

[Amelia]

Thank you for the kind words Sid, now If I didn't have so much roll with that rock....LOLOL

I can count on one hand the number of times I've had antibiotics. I've never had a yeast infection because I ate yogurt all the time. I don't know if this is true but what I believe.LOL