Procalcitonin levels were measured in all patients, and the researchers eventually learned that procalcitonin levels are elevated within ulcerative colitis flares, so their study was unable to answer their original question.
Instead, they picked up on another problem. Using the same set of patients from the original study, the researchers aimed to separate those patients into categories based on C. The patients where the C. In that part of their study, the researchers found that while procalcitonin did not mark the differences between those with and without positive C.
Procalcitonin levels were much higher in patients who responded to anti- C. Five of the 27 C. For more information about C. Clostridium difficile also called C. This inflammation , known as colitis, can cause diarrhea, fever, and abdominal cramps. You may get C. But the infection is most common in people who are taking antibiotics or have taken them recently. It is also common in older people who are in hospitals and nursing homes and in people who are getting chemotherapy for cancer.
Colitis caused by C. In rare cases, it can cause death. The large intestine normally contains many good bacteria that keep it healthy and do not cause disease.
If you take antibiotics to kill bacteria that do cause disease, your medicine may also kill the good bacteria. This may allow C. Experts also think that, in some cases, antibiotics may cause these toxins to be released.
When the toxins are released, the colon becomes inflamed. People who take medicines that reduce stomach acid, such as Nexium or Prevacid, also have a greater risk of getting a C. This may leave C. Other people can get infected if they touch a contaminated object and then eat or rub their faces with their hands. Health care workers can pass this bacteria from room to room in a hospital or a long-term care facility.
The best way to prevent spreading C. It is also a good idea to wash your hands before and after you visit a hospital, nursing home, or other place where people may be ill or weak. Use soap and water. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not work well against C.
You also may have an abnormal heartbeat, especially if you become dehydrated. Symptoms usually begin 4 to 10 days after you start taking antibiotics.
But they might not start until a few weeks after you stop taking antibiotics. The illness may be so mild that you have some diarrhea but no fever or cramps. Your doctor may think you have C. To confirm the diagnosis, a stool sample will be tested to look for the presence of C. Your doctor may look at the colon through a lighted instrument sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy.
In the most serious cases of C. First, if possible, your doctor will have you stop taking the antibiotic that caused the infection.
Feldman M, et al. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea and Clostridioides difficile infection. Elsevier; Accessed Nov. Bennett JE, et al. Clostridioides difficile formerly Clostridium difficile infection. Ferri FF. Clostridium difficile infection.
In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Stuart RL, et al. Infection, Disease and Health. Bouza E, et al. Analysis of C. Picco MF expert opinion. Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic Press Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic.
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