RN with relapsing cdiff

[RNinPGH]

Despite my best handwashing efforts, gowning and gloving, I got cdiff. Three months ago. I just relapsed.

It has been a complete nightmare. I can't return to work. I can't eat. I'm in pain, I have fatigue, etc.

Now I have three more months to completely get better or I will be terminated. The hospital says that I can't prove that I contracted the c.diff there....and I'm harassed by HR to 'prove' that I'm still sick. Do they HONESTLY want me to PROVE that I have c.diff? Don't they think that I could find other things to fake other than this horrible disgusting illness?

My question is, have any ID nurses noticed an increase in your workers contracting c.diff, or a general increase in c.diff in your patients. About the time I got sick, I was on antibiotics, a very bad one in terms of c.diff. But others in my hospital have contracted it (RNs, CNAs and the like), and its seems that half of our ICU unit has it at sometime or another. Any advice would be helpful. Also, I wasn't even offered workman's comp, and I'm financially drowning....

Thank you

~Amanda

[ladyevenstar]

hey,

i work on a medical unit where i got this monster for the first time. i relapsed2, 3 time with the third being septic and causing severe ulcerative colitis. it is 18 months later and i have a myriad of symptoms from abd pain, anorexia to muscle weakness, arthritis pain in my hands, fatigue(the kind that feels like something is sucking the life out of you) i have gone from 204# to almost 165# within the last 3 mo. i have just had a abd and pelvic ct and chest x ray and awaiting results. all blood tests were normal except for my k+ which was barely below normal at 3.4. i just dont know what to do. i never got workmans comp for anything. i am so tired all the time. i almost dont feel like fighting anymore. i hear cancer patients say the same thing! i really feel for you. i hope someone comes up with something to fight this monster.

anna

ps they still expect me to take care of patients c-diff +

[MSMM1950]

I also have been treated recently for 'presumptive c diff'. I am a hospice nurse. Many of our patients, particularly those admitted in the hospital or Long Term Care facility have C Diff along with all the other 'super bugs". I also follow standards. I started with what I thought was a viral gastroenteritis, but it didn't clear. When I began with yellow, mucoid stools that smelled putrid (literally) I booked an appointment and brought a stool sample. 2 additional samples were also sent to the lab. Little did I know at the time that the samples needed to be fresh. The physician ,nor the lab told me the toxins degrade after two hours at room temperature. Made me wonder how many others were tested at the same lab and never told. Anyway mine sat for between 6 and 9 hours prior to going to the lab. Toxin A(the only toxin this particular md would test for) was negative. Toxin a and toxin B sensitivity is about 90%. Culture for C Diff sensitivity is 60%. Culture was also negative. I did have WBCs in stool and there was marked reduction of normal flora. The GI person I took myself to started me immediately on Flagyl. I also became worse. On the 6th day of treatment went to the ER and was admitted for 4 days. Curiously I had shaking chills on 3 occasions during hospitalization and then feeling of fever and flushed face but never spiked a fever or white count. I am better now but am run down and have had Norovirus and then flu since. I am hopeful to get better and will do all that I can - Probiotics, diet, supplements to boost immune system etc.

[MrHockey]

I contracted C-Diff over 2 years ago. What a trip that was. I probably picked up the C-Diff after a stay in the hospital for an intestinal operation, and 3 rounds of various broad spectrum antibiotics. I'm thinking it was the Clidomyacin that was the culprit. Anyway, I went undiagnosed for 2 months, lost 35 pounds, became very depressed.

After speaking with an on-call doctor was sent for a stool sample, 5 days later I got the good news, I was told I had C-Diff. This was good news to me, because now I knew what I had. After 10 days of Metro the C-Diff cleared. I immediately started taking (on the health food store owner's recomendation) Suprema Dophilus, an enteric coated probiotic. I drank lots of Gatorade, ate lots of watermelon, which I think helped with the dehydration. I also took Source of Life liquid vitamins.

Check out the UK C-Diff Support website, it has been very helpful to me. http://www.cdiff-support.co.uk/

Why is C-Diff spreading.... because the alchohol based hand gels DO NOT kill the C-Diff spores. You need to use soap and water and wash the spores down the drain. There is a supplier of a cleaning agent that claims to be effective against the C-Diff spores. I am still trying to get more info on it, but they have not responded to my emails.

http://www.chemicalexpress.co.uk/News/chemex_breakthrough_in_battle_against_c_diff.aspx

Hopefully this post will help shed some light on the subject.

MrHockey

[JLS RN]

I know it has been awhile since postings about c-ciff, however I feel that maybe some of you out there have found some new treatments. I recently took some oral abt for a dental abcess ( clindamyacinfor 5 days) and low and behold within 2 weeks I thought I had the flu and after severe cramping and 20-30 watery stools a day I called my doctor and started on flagyl and later went in to give a stool spec, which was c-diff pos.. I have just started a new job and am off sick. My symptoms subside as long as I am on flagy or vanco. I did take the flagyl for 14 days and within 2 days after completing my symptoms came back. I am now on the very expensive oral vanco. This has become so virulent that I am hearing of people living on vanco and flagyl just to keep symptoms at bay. Does anyone out there know of any research or treatments other than the ones that are not working. I fear that when I finish this 14 day course of vanco my symptoms will return. What little I have read about fecal transplantation is very positive. Does it sound feasable that you could restore your normal flora by getting someone elses? I had not taken an abt for many years but due to the severity of my abcess I felt it was necessary...stress of a new job, mouth pain for over a month and finishing school, finals, clinicals and graduation....maybe stress plays a huge role. I had been a long term care Lpn for many years and taken care of many patients with this disease. As nurses we must begin to advocate for less antibiotics as so many superinfections are developing that are actuallly more devestating than the initial problem. We can put a man on themoon but we can't control this life-changing disease. Pray that you never contract this b/c I am looking at it a whole lot differently on the receiving end. I would llike to know what others are experiencing and if this nurse ever resolved her c-diff.

[tewdles, RN]

Check out information on fecal transplant...

[nurseforyou]

The best treatment for c diff is a fecal transplant. Taking stool from a healthy person and putting it inside a person with c diff. The docs do not want to do it becase they would rather just write out a script and don't want to deal with the unpleasantness and stigma. Hence more antibiotic abuse.

[traumaRUs, MSN, APRN]

Fecal transplants are done frequently - unsure why you say this.

Has worked for several of my pts with very good results.