Re: C-diff killed my friend!

viva923 · ‎03-12-2010

my husband just found out his younger sister was diagnosed with c-diff. How she got it we don't know. She lives in another state and dh and his sister don't talk often. Know she was in hospital for 2 weeks when he got a email about this problem. Guess the doctors were doing all kinds of work up on his sister to get a handle on the infection.

happycat · ‎09-18-2010

@CBonifacio wrote:
Has anyone heard of C-diff? My friend from college, age 52 died yesterday. Her husband came home and she was died from a heart attack caused by c-diff bacteria.

She was taking antibiotics for a tooth Issue. Now she’s gone. Can someone explain this to me?

I am very sorry for the loss of your friend.

I had heard of this, but didn't know what it was, this is kind of scary honestly.

pitdakota · ‎03-16-2010

@CBonifacio wrote:
Has anyone heard of C-diff? My friend from college, age 52 died yesterday. Her husband came home and she was died from a heart attack caused by c-diff bacteria.

She was taking antibiotics for a tooth Issue. Now she’s gone. Can someone explain this to me?

___________________________________________________

@CBonifacio, I am so sorry for the loss of your friend! I am sure this is a shock as well as a big loss for you. And 52 years old is young these days!

As others here have posted, c-diff is not an uncommon problem which is generally related to antibiotic therapy. It is contagious if someone else has it as well. Since you state your friend was on antibiotics for an issue she was having with a tooth, that is probably how this originated.

There are different strains of c-diff with some that release more toxins than others as a result of the infection. The infection can cause significant issues with dehydration which ultimately can cause serious disturbances in electrolyes along with kidney failure. And it certainly can lead to multi-organ failure as well.

Again, I am so sorry for your loss.

* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *

pitdakota · ‎03-16-2010

@Nonametoday wrote:
@KingstonsMom wrote:
@CBonifacio

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/clostridium-difficile-colitis#1
@KingstonsMom When C diff enters the bloodstream, it works quickly. If it is a tooth, the infection goes rapidly to the heart and if the antibiotics were not given very early on in the illness, the infection had a great toe-hold on her and antibiotics were ineffective. It happens. It is a bad infection. My BFF had the same but from another source of entry, not the teeth. She was comatose for a long time but finally pulled through it. She was on life support for a very long time and had surgery several times during that time period.

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@Nonametoday, I wouldn't want someone being afraid of having dental work done so I need to address the above statements. C-diff does not colonize in the mouth, so highly improbable it would enter the system via any dental work. And since all dental instruments are sterilized, it is highly unlikely anyone would contract it from instruments or a dental procedure.

Secondly, c-diff itself doesn't go straight to the bloodstream or the heart. It colonizes in the intestine. It is the toxins released from the instestinal infection that are absorbed into the blood stream from the bowel that lead to a signficant problem with sepsis in serious strains of c-diff. However, it is really more common that dehydration related to the diarrhea caused by the c-diff that leads to electrolyte imbalance and renal failure. Typically, it is also exacerbated by low blood pressure secondary to dehydration. Involvment of the heart is usually late in occurrence as a result of multi-organ system failure. The c-diff itself does not enter the bloodstream or the heart.

I wouldn't want anyone to be alarmed about going to the dentist. Well, more concerned than they normally would be. But it is a good time to learn about c-diff and its relationship to antibiotic therapy so that anyone that is on antibiotics or around someone diagnosed with c-diff experiences diarrhea, to see their healthcare provider to have c-diff ruled out.

* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *

daisyk · ‎05-20-2011

@CBonifacioI'm so sorry for the loss of your friend. I know c-diff is bad news, but who would have expected this? Prayers for you and the family of your friend. She was so young.

Nonametoday · ‎03-09-2010

@pitdakota wrote:
@Nonametoday wrote:
@KingstonsMom wrote:
@CBonifacio

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/clostridium-difficile-colitis#1
@KingstonsMom When C diff enters the bloodstream, it works quickly. If it is a tooth, the infection goes rapidly to the heart and if the antibiotics were not given very early on in the illness, the infection had a great toe-hold on her and antibiotics were ineffective. It happens. It is a bad infection. My BFF had the same but from another source of entry, not the teeth. She was comatose for a long time but finally pulled through it. She was on life support for a very long time and had surgery several times during that time period.
_______________________________________________________

@Nonametoday, I wouldn't want someone being afraid of having dental work done so I need to address the above statements. C-diff does not colonize in the mouth, so highly improbable it would enter the system via any dental work. And since all dental instruments are sterilized, it is highly unlikely anyone would contract it from instruments or a dental procedure.

Secondly, c-diff itself doesn't go straight to the bloodstream or the heart. It colonizes in the intestine. It is the toxins released from the instestinal infection that are absorbed into the blood stream from the bowel that lead to a signficant problem with sepsis in serious strains of c-diff. However, it is really more common that dehydration related to the diarrhea caused by the c-diff that leads to electrolyte imbalance and renal failure. Typically, it is also exacerbated by low blood pressure secondary to dehydration. Involvment of the heart is usually late in occurrence as a result of multi-organ system failure. The c-diff itself does not enter the bloodstream or the heart.

I wouldn't want anyone to be alarmed about going to the dentist. Well, more concerned than they normally would be. But it is a good time to learn about c-diff and its relationship to antibiotic therapy so that anyone that is on antibiotics or around someone diagnosed with c-diff experiences diarrhea, to see their healthcare provider to have c-diff ruled out.

@pitdakota I understand that it is a colonic colonization but it does enter the blood stream. No, we should go to the dentist regularly and once we realize we have a problem, get it taken care of. Please, please, please don't try to tell me anything about dental health. I have spent over $100,000 on my mouth (out of pocket) in the past few years and have a mouth full of issues and trigeminal neuralgia and have taken more antibiotics and antifungals than I care to discuss.

pitdakota · ‎03-16-2010

No problem @Nonametoday. Just don't want someone thinking that the c-diff spores going directly from their mouth into their bloodstream and then to their heart when that isn't the pathophysiology. That comes from a nurse with more than 40 years of experience with around 2 decades of that time spent working in critical care. So I have certainly seen my share of patients in the critical care unit with either severe renal failure and or multi-organ system failure releated to sepsis secondary to c-diff infection. I think most nurses are aware that the micro-organism itself doesn't enter the bloodstream, but it is a chemical reaction related to the immune system trying to respond to the infection which results in sepsis.

Good luck with your dental issues. That has to be tough, especially associated with trigeminal neuralgia. Hopefully, since you have been through so much, there won't be too much dental work ahead for you.

* Freedom has a taste the protected will never know *

judianne · ‎07-09-2014

I took a prescription for c-diff that cost 950.00 dollars !After tests were done it was negative for c-diff ! Turns out l have Microscopic Colitis . It’s a horrible disease, no cure and not much treatment except tons of pepto bismol . Stay in the house after eating , no eating before any social activity , seems like about 1-2 hours after eating l have diarrhea . It’s a tough way to live .

MsJr · ‎10-08-2010

So sorry for the loss of your friend.

I had CDiff two years ago, lost 20 lbs and was quarantined in the hospital for almost a week. At least 20 doctors asked me if I had taken antibiotics recently and the answer was always the same, "No". A relatives father died from, as the death certificate said, CDiff. A nasty condition and so glad I made it through to the good side. My kidneys were affected. To all the bloggers out there, please, if you have continual diarrhea seek medical advise. It could save your life, it did mine. BTW my hospital ER couldn't believe that I was still alive when I arrived.