Can you help me understand C.difficile?

By all means ask your daughter’s doctor before risking transfer of c.diff. My understanding of it is that it generally only attacks people who have been treated with a broad-spectrum regimen of antibiotics, thus temporarily wiping out beneficial gut bacteria and making room for the c.diff bacilli to flourish if they happen to already be there, or if the person ingests some. They are not transmitted airborne, but rather by touching contaminated surfaces then touching food or other things you put into your mouth. But hey, I’m not a doctor and haven’t even played one on TV. I also have no idea what sort of antibiotics doctors may have thrown at your little girl to in an initial attempt deal with the infections that are now leading them to remove her tonsils and adenoids. Better safe than sorry. I’m sure your mom would agree. My wishes for a speedy recovery for both patients.

It is contagious, so I think I would stay away for now. You don’t want to run the risk of exposing your daughter before her surgery.
I had written pretty much the same thing @ETpro said, but he said it better.
I’m sorry you have so much going on in the past few months. I’m sure you must be exhausted.
Sending good thoughts to you and your family.

I have no earthly idea. I found this from the Mayo Clinic. When it rains; it pours. I wish you guys would get a break. I join @chyna in sending good thoughts to you and your family. Stay strong and be good to yourself. (((HUGS)))

They will have him on contact precautions in the hospital (gowns, gloves, the whole works). The concern, I think, is mostly transferring C. Diff to other hospital patients from room to room, not to visitors.
@ETpro pretty much said it all otherwise.

I thought I’d also include this: http://www.cleveland.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2013/01/c_diff_being_treated_with_feca.html
It’s an article about using stool transplants (no, that is not a joke) to treat C. Diff infections. I know that’s not what you asked about, but it’s pretty recent research so I thought I’d post it in case you hadn’t heard about it.

Hugs and prayers and all those good things going out to you.

C. Diff is contagious, yes, but you can protect yourself pretty well by making sure to really wash your hands well. I would personally still be paranoid about picking it up and passing it to my kids, no matter how much I washed my hands. It’s a tough call, girl, and I’m so sorry you’re all going through this. My heart goes out to you! (((HUGS)))

@jonsblond The hospital will not allow any guest to visit a c.diff patient without completely gowning up. You will thoroughly sanitize your hands after the visit.

If you’re asking my opinion, I’d say do not visit her until after your daughter’s surgery. As it is, the hospitals in our region (I know where you live;) have the Norovirus going around. I just wouldn’t risk bringing home a virus at a sensitive time for your family.

With the C.diff: It is pervasive among the nursing home crowd. It can be life threatening. It is very difficult for patients in already weakened conditions to fight. I am only informing you so you are aware of what next battle you’ll be waging with your mom.

I’ll have to sleep on all of this, but my gut tells me to stay home. You have all been a great help and it makes me feel a little bit better about the decision I think I’ll probably make.

I think if it were my decision, I’d stay away for the time being. Damn, that is a tough situation, and I’m sorry you’re in it.

Janet, Knowing that you have siblings who can visit your mom (and your dad), under the circumstances, I would wait until Emily is tonsil-free and home and comfortable.

There is also the issue of Jon’s immune system not being optimal either. Don’t tempt fate…i seems to be paying too much attention to you and your family as it is.

This is really tough, I am sure. I am sending good thought your way.

It’s highly infectious, and a scourge of hospitals. But if you gown and glove up, and wash your hands well then you should be okay. Alcohol hand gels don’t work for c.diff. You must wash your hands. If you follow the precautions then your daughter should be fine. I wouldn’t not visit your mother because your daughter is having surgery.

I don’t think I’ve ever had a more difficult decision. Is the hospital really the best place for my husband and I to visit right now? Should my daughter be top priority? Clean hands and all, the risk seems greater if we are at a facility where a bunch of sick people are.

The risks are greater @jonsblond. I’ve talked to you about when my aunt was dying….

When my dad was dying in the ICU, even the docs and nurses there were a bit anxious about us visiting. Our county had a MRSA outbreak at another nearby hospital. Less than a week later MRSA was at the hospital my dad had been at.

Even with religiously scrubbing our hands at the hospitals when loved ones were dying, we’ve brought home some nasty viruses.

I have no clue really, but when I think back one thing I think of is that you should have on full gear.

When my husband was alive he was put in an isolation room and the word c.difficile was thrown around by the nurses. I was going in and out of his room without any gear mind you the nurses watched me everyday they came in with gear on, and I finally said to one nurse “why is everyone wearing gear and I’m not?” She says “You were never told to put the gear on?” I said “What? You people just think I’m making a conscious decision to spread this around if I end up getting it!!” Wtf! I was mortified. So she showed me what the proper procedure was which I did until he was cleared. Thank God I never got c.difficile or we would of both been up shits creek literally and one of us had to hold the fort down.

@jonsblond your daughter will be in the hospital for the tonsillectomy, correct? There is also a slight chance she could contract something at the hospital herself. My husband got c.diff at the hostpital and was there for something else totally unrelated. Although do not quote me on this but I thought I was told when I was at the hospital which is why the nurses didn’t freak out from me not gowning up but c.diff usually only attacks people with immune compramised deficiencies and my husband had diabetes.

I don’t know if I’ve helped you or hindered but good luck with everything.

@jonsblond I’ll say it again and then I’ll shut up. Remember, this is what I do for a living. Follow the contact precautions to the letter and wash your hands in and out with soap and water. It’ll be fine.

In the worst case scenario, if you decide to stay away for a few days, could someone else in your family let you talk to your Mom on the phone or over the Internet or Skype or something?

@Rarebear With all due respect, if that were foolproof, we wouldn’t have C. difficile outbreaks in hospitals – certainly not with the frequency that we do. People don’t seem to be capable of completely preventing its spread. Maybe we’re just not being careful enough. There is evidently enough variability in the way that those contact precautions are followed that it continues to be a problem.

@glacial. I’m just encouraging @jonsblond to visit her mother in the hospital and telling her how to limit the risk, which is present, but low if proper precautions are followed.

Under normal circumstances, I’d follow @Rarebear‘s advice. But the mommy in me would be very protective of my child in your circumstances, and I think my “mommy emotion” would overpower the “doctor logic” in this particular case. I’d postpone the visit til after the surgery.

@Rarebear is partially correct. Upon looking at the risk factors I was also partially correct. Now I also understand why my husband was in quarintine I also understand why they weren’t really freaking out that I wasn’t gearing up. But I’m also still not even completely clear now if he even had c.diff or if there was a break out in the hospital and they were trying to prevent him from getting it since he was on antibiotic treatment and had diabetes.

Anyway, @jonsblond if you’re daughter is going to be on or is already on antibiotics (I know you mentioned tonsillectomy & adenoidectomy, I had that when I was younger I remember a lot of antibiotics before the surgery and if she is or going to be on them then I would suggest you not go.)

These are the risk factors which may help you make a better decision and just remember c.diff is contagious, and if c.diff is at the hospital where your daughter is getting her tonsillectomy there is a very small chance she could contract it there also while getting her surgery, but it is treatable.

Risk Factors for C. diff. Although” C. diff” occasionally causes problems in healthy people, it is most likely to affect patients in hospitals or long-term care facilities. Most have conditions that require long-term treatment with antibiotics, which kill off other intestinal bacteria that keep “C. diff” in check. While use of any antibiotic can potentially lead to “C. diff” overgrowth, it most commonly occurs with the use of an antibiotic that is broad-spectrum, or able to kill a wide variety of bacteria. It also occurs more often when multiple antibiotics are needed to fight infection and when the antibiotics need to be taken for a long period of time.

http://www.cdc.gov/hai/pdfs/cdiff/cdiff_tagged.pdf

“Can my friends and family get C. diff when they visit me?
C. diff infection usually does not occur in persons who are not tak- ing antibiotics. Visitors are not likely to get C. diff. Still, to make it safer for visitors, they should:
• Clean their hands before they enter your room and as they leave your room
• Ask the nurse if they need to wear protective gowns and gloves when they visit you.”

You’ll be fine. Wash your hands with soap and water.
Or just stay home and don’t visit your mother if you’re that worried.

I visited my mom and left my husband and daughter at home. I’m glad I went. The family was asked to get together this morning to discuss a DNR. My mom had labored breathing and her pulse ox (sp?) was low. I didn’t find out about this until 5 pm this evening when we returned home from the hospital with our daughter. My sisters and dad felt bad for not including me, but it was the best choice for everyone.

My mom is in intermediate care icu now. She’s doing a bit better than she was this morning. Our daughter’s procedure went well and she’s resting. She’s a constant talker and it’s killing her to not be able to talk as much as she likes. She’ll be back on her feet soon and talking our ears off.

I really appreciate the help and support here. It was a hard decision. I think I need to unplug for a while, so if you don’t see me around you know why. I just don’t have the energy right now to concentrate on anything other than my family, but I had to come back to thank you all.

Thank you for taking the time for an update.

I’m glad you went. It was the right thing to do.

I thought I would share the good news here. My mother tested positive for C.diff again after the first time she recovered from it. After that episode her recovery was very slow and many people, including her GP almost gave up on her. My dad mentioned something to the neurologist and a Cat scan was done. She wasn’t improving because there was fluid on her brain. She had brain surgery to place a shunt two weeks ago and she improved immediately. She’s finishing her rehab and she should be going home in a week!

Great news, blondie! (((HUGS)))

So delighted to hear it. Every now and then, there is justice in the Universe.

I heard a big sigh of relief and wondered where that came from. Now I know it was from you and your family. I am SOO happy to hear this good news. It made my day.

Thanks everyone. <3

I wish there was a way you could word your wonderful news into a question so you can announce it for other people who aren’t following this thread any longer. It is just short of a miracle. <3 It is a feel good moment that should be shared.

This is the best of Fluther. Thank you. <3