Clostridioides difficile bacteria

About Clostridioides difficile bacteria: 

• It is a bacterium that causes an infection of the colon, the longest part of the large intestine. Symptoms can range from diarrhea to life-threatening damage to the colon.
• Illness from C. difficile often occurs after using antibiotic medicines.
• It mostly affects older adults in hospitals or in long-term care settings. People not in care settings or hospitals also can get C. difficile infection. 
• Symptoms
  • Watery diarrhea, mild belly cramping and tenderness.
  • People who have a severe C. difficile infection tend to lose too much bodily fluid, a condition called dehydration.
  • C. difficile infection that is severe and sudden can cause the colon to become inflamed and get larger, called toxic megacolon.
• Transmission: It can be transmitted from patient to patient by the hands of health care workers.
• Roughly one-third of infected individuals will have recurrent infections.
• Treatment: Treatments include a lengthy course of strong antibiotics, which also kill off beneficial bacteria in the gut, and fecal transplants to deliver healthy bacteria.

Q1: What is the gastrointestinal (GI) tract?

The gastrointestinal (GI) tract, also known as the digestive tract or alimentary canal, is a long tube that extends from the mouth to the anus and is responsible for the digestion and absorption of food and nutrients in the human body. It plays a crucial role in breaking down the food we consume into smaller particles and absorbing nutrients to provide energy for bodily functions.

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