What Is C-Diff?
Doctors of Internal Medicine in Fremont, CA
C-diff is short for
Clostridium difficile, a type of bacterium that attacks the intestinal lining and causes a disorder known as
Clostridium difficilecolitis. C-Diff is a major and important cause of infectious diarrhea nationwide.
There are different symptoms of this condition. If you are experiencing
diarrhea, see a doctor from Washington Township Medical Foundation. There
are many causes of diarrhea that your doctor of internal medicine can
test for. You should also know about risk factors of C-Diff, including
use of certain medications such as chemotherapy drugs or proton-pump inhibitors,
a kidney disease, a colon disease, or a gastrointestinal surgery.
Is C-Diff Life Threatening?
C-Diff can be very dangerous and even life threatening. In some cases,
a hole in the intestine can develop. In other cases, C-Diff can be relatively
mild. In any case, it is important to see a doctor for treatment. Your
doctor can diagnose C-Diff either by looking at stool specimens or the
results of a colonoscopy.
Mild C-Diff infections may be evidenced by the following symptoms:
- Watery diarrhea at least three times per day for multiple days
- Abdominal tenderness / pain
In severe cases, the following symptoms may occur:
- Serious abdominal pain
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Weight loss
- Bloody stool / pus in the stool
- Water diarrhea for as many as 15 times per day