Video

What Kids Wear Could Determine How Much Exercise They Get

Few College Students Have Received the H1N1 Vaccine

Night Lights Could Lead to Depression

Cervarix Has Been Approved by the FDA

The FDA Is Studying the Effects of Lasik Surgery

Painkillers Can Dull the Effects of Childhood Vaccines

Childbirth May Becoming More Complicated

Botox Sponges Might Help Nose Allergies

The FDA Advises on How to Properly Dispose of Medicine

A French Study Shows Cell Phones Do Not Affect Humans

MRIs May Lead to More Back Surgery

Your More Likely to Wash Your Hands If Someone's Watching

Co-Sleeping Is a Leading Cause of SIDS

Night Shifts Don't Have a Major Effect On Surgeons

Exercise May Counter Fatigue from Chemotherapy

Deadly Intestinal Infection Spreading Outside Hospitals

Posted on 11/05/2009, 08:42
By --Randy Dotinga

Study finds growing number of C. difficile cases among elderly

TUESDAY, Nov. 3 (HealthDay News) -- A potentially deadly intestinal infection is on the rise outside of hospital settings, especially among the elderly, researchers warn.

The germ that causes the condition, known as Clostridium difficile, can create serious symptoms, including diarrhea and an inflammation of the colon, that can be fatal. The infection can be difficult to treat because the bacteria have become immune to some drugs.

The bacteria have been found mostly in hospitals, nursing homes and similar facilities.

"Recent reports have shown increasing incidence and severity of C. difficile infection, especially in the older population," Dr. Darrell Pardi, a Mayo Clinic gastroenterologist and senior author of a study on the situation, said in a Mayo news release. "Our study examines why the cases are on the rise and who is getting the infection."

The findings were presented recently at the American College of Gastroenterology annual meeting, in San Diego.

The researchers examined 385 cases of disease caused by the germ from 1991 to 2005 to see if more were being acquired in places other than a hospital.

They found that people who got sick outside of a hospital were younger -- a median of 50 years old versus 72 -- and had less severe cases.

"The growing incidence of C. difficile infection in both inpatient and outpatient settings could be linked to the increasing usage of antibiotics and to the possibility that C. difficile may be getting resistant to some of our newer antibiotics," Pardi said.

Health experts have gotten better at spotting the bacteria in hospitals and nursing homes, he said, but "now doctors and patients need to be more aware that you can get this infection as an outpatient and that a case of diarrhea or abdominal cramps at home could become serious."

The germ kills an estimated 5,000 people in the United States each year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on C. difficile infections.

SOURCE: Mayo Clinic, news release, October 2009

More news in Nutrition...

BigHealthTree.com Disclaimer

Bighealthtree.com Does Not Provide Medical Advice. This site, including the above information, is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or health advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified health or medical professional before starting any new treatment, changing existing treatment, or altering your current exercise and/or diet program. If you think you are having a medical emergency, call 911 (or the emergency services in your area) or your doctor immediately.

Rating: 3.0 / 5 (8 votes)