In 2012, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) may be associated with an increased risk of Clostridium difficile–associated diarrhea (CDAD). C. difficile, more commonly known as C. diff, is a bacterium that causes inflammation of the colon, or colitis. It is a gram positive anaerobic spore forming bacteria that is most commonly seen in cases of hospital associated diarrhea. Symptoms of the infection include persistent diarrhea, watery stool, fever, abdominal pain, and the more serious development of toxic megacolon.
The incidence and severity of the C. diff infection are increasing. Risk factors that may contribute to a person developing the infection include age, antibiotic use, immunosuppression, lengthy hospital visits, and certain chronic medical conditions. Recently, proton pump inhibitors have received much attention in its association with C. diff. In a 2013 article in JAMA Internal Medicine, community-associated C. diff infections without antibiotic exposure had a trend towards having received Proton Pump Inhibitors more frequently than patients with antibiotic exposure. The basis for this trend is due to the PPIs ability to decrease the acidity of the stomach.
PPIs work by inhibiting the H+/K+-ATPase enzyme which suppresses gastric acid secretion in the stomach parietal cell. The stomach becomes more basic and the pH increases. Bacteria have a better chance of surviving in an environment of a higher pH. PPIs inhibit the body’s natural defense against many organisms. They interrupt the high acidity of the stomach, lowering our defense mechanism, and allowing colonization and multiplication of bacteria associated with C.diff. The American Journal of Gastroenter...
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...nd with spores. Since this is a spore forming bacteria, hand sanitizers and alcohol will not kill the bacteria. It is of most importance for hospital staff and those in contact with the infected individual, including family, to practice proper hand hygiene by washing hands with soap and water.
When deciding whether or not to use a PPI, it is important to look at the risks and the benefits. PPIs used as a maintenance medication, for chronic disease states, may not be the most appropriate choice. However, sometimes using PPIs is unavoidable. When appropriate, de-escalation of PPIs may be beneficial by reducing the incidence of C. diff. Tapering doses, switching to H2RAs, or using antacids when needed are alternatives to chronic PPI use. Healthcare professionals need to vigilant in monitoring their patient’s progression to determine the appropriate course of therapy.
Clostridium difficile, otherwise known as C. diff, is a species of spore-forming, anaerobic, gram-positive bacteria that is known to cause watery diarrhea. 1 The genus name, Clostridium refers to the spindle shape of the organism while Difficile means difficult in Latin due to the fact that this organism thrives in unfavorable conditions and is very difficult to isolate.4 The incidence of getting CDI has increased over the years due to new strains of increased toxin production of the bacteria and increased resistance to antibiotics.2 It is a gastrointestinal infection, and the most common cause of infectious diarrhea.1 C. difficile was first identified in the feces of healthy newborns back in the 1930’s and by 1935, it was considered normal flora. 2 During 1974, researchers conducted that about 21% of patients that were treated with an antibiotic called clindamyacin reported diarrhea and about 10% of them reported to have conducted pseudomembranous colitis as a side effect of this treatment. 2 It was in 1978 where C. diff had been known to cause anti-biotic associated diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. 2 It is known to form spores that resist many disinfectants; it also survives for several months on different surfaces.1 It is a common form of a nosocomial infection and the prevalence of becoming infected with C. diff is about 0-15% in a health care setting. 3 The spores survive well in environments such as soil, water and animals and is distributed worldwide. 4 CDI produces two toxins (Toxin A and B), which are cytotoxic and cause tissue necrosis.4
The pros of the CPOE system included that the prescribing of wrong medications was reduced, there were fewer errors with the patient’s basic information, orders for lab work, blood work, and medications were standardized; and mistakes in the ordering...
A common hospital acquired condition that nurses see now days is clostridium difficile. This bacterium usually invades patients who have been on long-term antibiotics that have killed off bacteria that protect them from infection. C. diff is passed from host to host by both direct and indirect contact making it readily moved from patient to patient in hospital settings (Mayo, 2013, 1). Nurses can use the QSEN competencies and KSAs to help treat and prevent hospital acquired conditions such as C.diff.
However, increasing antibiotic resistance patterns among intensive care unit pathogens, cultivated by empiric-broad spectrum antibiotic regimens, characterizes the variable concerns. Recent literature point that antibiotic use before the development of VAP is associated with increased risk for potentially resistant gran-negative infections and Methcillin-resistant Staphylococcus auereus (MRSA)
• Wash your hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use hand sanitizer. Always wash your hands:
According to CDC policy if the patient before Jean Deere did not have a diagnosis with the possibility of disease transmission, the proper method of hand sanitization would be alcohol based hand rub.
It is undeniable that the recent discovery of antibiotics and disinfectants in the past century is leading to the creation of increasingly dangerous antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Super bugs like Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus have begun breaking out in hospital areas, killing more and more patients due to the lack of people following through with simple safety measures. In order to stop the creation and spread of antibiotic-resistant super bugs, proper precautions must be taken such as avoiding antibacterial cleaners, following through with instructions when taking prescriptions and maintaining adequate hand hygiene. Through adhering to basic safety rules, the creation and spread of super bugs can be minimized and all together discontinued from occurring at such a rapid rate.
...y infections that could cause short term or long term unneeded damage. For this reason doctors and health care professionals are recommending that all people of all ages to get theses vaccines (University of Maryland Center, 2014). Other ways to prevent this disease are to simply keep clean and be aware of good hand hygiene (University of Maryland Center, 2014). By washing your hands with antimicrobial soap and warm water with friction, most bacteria are killed. Doing this prevents organisms from potentially getting inside your body.
...s simple as washing hands and showering regularly can terminate the chances of coming across this bacteria. Also, doctors encourage special attention given to areas with a broken barrier of protection. These areas are advised to be kept extra clean and away from possible transmitters of Impetigo. (Nemours, 1995-2011)
The studies provided in the literature review prove that. It is believed that hand washing is the best thing to do to kill bacteria but as study show hand sanitizing is more efficient (Michaels, 2014). The experiment mentioned before done at the University College of Health Studies proves that hand sanitizing is the best way to kill bacteria in hands (2015). The best way to prevent hospital acquired infections is to wash hands in situations where it is necessary, like when hands are visibly soiled, and use hand sanitizer in situations that are appropriate. In other words use your judgment. Because studies also show that washing hands too often can have damaging effects to hands it is not recommended to use hand washing only (Michaels, 2014). It takes about 20 seconds to wash your hands and 5 seconds to use hand sanitizer. Such a big difference can be made in the prevention of hospital acquired infections by just performing that very simple task that doesn’t take very long to do and so many lives can be saved as
Secondary:Curtis, L. (2008). Prevention of hospital-acquired infections: review of non-pharmacological interventions. Journal of Hospital Infection, 69(3), 204-219. Revised 01/20
C. difficile infection (CDI) is a dangerous healthcare-associated infection as well as a growing burden, especially with the appearance of more potent strains in the early 2000s. Clostridium difficile was initially identified as possessing the ability to initiate pseudomembranous colitis in the late 1970s. Asymptomatic colonization in healthy adults has been detected in only 3% of individuals, whereas the pervasiveness of such colonization among patients in long-term-care facilities is approximately 50%. People colonized with C. difficile act as a reservoir of contamination by infecting the environment with C. difficile spores, consequently leading to an increase of the pathogen on the hand...
In the last decade, the number of prescriptions for antibiotics has increases. Even though, antibiotics are helpful, an excess amount of antibiotics can be dangerous. Quite often antibiotics are wrongly prescribed to cure viruses when they are meant to target bacteria. Antibiotics are a type of medicine that is prone to kill microorganisms, or bacteria. By examining the PBS documentary Hunting the Nightmare Bacteria and the article “U.S. government taps GlaxoSmithKline for New Antibiotics” by Ben Hirschler as well as a few other articles can help depict the problem that is of doctors prescribing antibiotics wrongly or excessively, which can led to becoming harmful to the body.
... common side effect of PD and is a daily challenge for the at home patient. The patient must continuously monitor for any signs and symptoms of infection, such as pain, fever or abdominal swelling. HD patients are aware of the risk for access infections but tend to rely on the clinic nurse to recognize and treat the infection.
(2014) shed light on two key components for infection control, which includes protecting patients from acquiring infections and protecting health care workers from becoming infected (Curchoe et al., 2014). The techniques that are used to protect patients also provide protection for nurses and other health care workers alike. In order to prevent the spread of infections, it is important for health care workers to be meticulous and attentive when providing care to already vulnerable patients (Curchoe et al., 2014). If a health care worker is aware they may contaminate the surroundings of a patient, they must properly clean, disinfect, and sterilize any contaminated objects in order to reduce or eliminate microorganisms (Curchoe et al., 2014). It is also ideal to change gloves after contact with contaminated secretions and before leaving a patient’s room (Curchoe, 2014). Research suggests that due to standard precaution, gloves must be worn as a single-use item for each invasive procedure, contact with sterile sites, and non-intact skin or mucous membranes (Curchoe et al., 2014). Hence, it is critical that health care workers change gloves during any activity that has been assessed as carrying a risk of exposure to body substances, secretions, excretions, and blood (Curchoe et al.,