Show
Clostridium difficile (C. diff) is a type of bacteria that can cause diarrhoea. It often affects people who have been taking antibiotics. It can usually be treated with a different type of antibiotic. Common symptoms of a C. diff infection include: C. diff bacteria usually live harmlessly in your bowel along with lots of other types of bacteria. But sometimes when you take antibiotics, the balance of bacteria in your bowel can change, causing an infection. When someone has a C. diff infection, it can spread to other people very easily if the bacteria found in the person’s poo get onto objects and surfaces. You're more likely to get a C. diff infection if: You can call 111 or get help from 111 online. If a doctor thinks you have a C. diff infection, they may ask for a sample of your poo to be tested. The infection can sometimes be treated at home, or you might need to go into hospital. This is because C. diff infections can sometimes lead to more serious problems like sepsis. A C. diff infection is treated by:
You'll also be given advice about how to avoid dehydration, such as making sure you drink plenty of water. Your symptoms should improve a few days after starting the new course of antibiotics. But it may be 1 to 2 weeks before the infection clears up completely. Go back to see the GP if your symptoms get worse, you feel very unwell after starting the antibiotics, or your symptoms come back afterwards. If your symptoms return, treatment may need to be repeated.
Carry on taking your antibiotics until you've finished all your tablets, capsules or liquid, even if you feel better. If you stop your treatment early, your symptoms could come back. C. diff infections can spread very easily. There are some things you can do to reduce the risk of passing it on to others.
Page last reviewed: 08 February 2022
This information is right for you if:
What will this summary tell me?This summary will answer these questions:
What is the source of this information?This information comes from a research report that was funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a Federal Government agency. To write the report, researchers looked at 56 scientific research articles reporting on studies to prevent and treat CDI. The studies were published through April 2015. Health care professionals, researchers, experts, and the public gave feedback on the report before it was published. Understanding Your ConditionWhat is a C. difficile infection?A C. difficile infection (CDI) results from a type of bacteria (or germ) called Clostridium difficile infecting your large intestine. C. difficile bacteria are common and can be found everywhere. These bacteria can be found in the air, in water, or on items such as door knobs, sinks, and countertops. Small amounts of C. difficile bacteria are even found in many people's intestines.If C. difficile bacteria in your intestines grow out of control, they can cause an infection. This can happen after a person takes antibiotics. Antibiotics are a type of medicine that fight infections caused by bacteria. When you take antibiotics, the normal bacteria in your intestines that help keep you healthy can also be killed. When this happens, bacteria such as C. difficile can grow out of control. When a person has CDI, chemicals called toxins produced by the C. difficile bacteria make him or her sick. CDI affects about 500,000 people in the United States each year. CDI can be mild to severe. The most common symptoms of CDI include watery diarrhea (three or more times a day for 2 or more days) and cramping in your belly. Some people with CDI can become very sick. In rare cases, severe CDI can be life threatening. Symptoms of severe CDI may include:
What increases the risk of CDI?Anyone can get CDI, but some people have a higher risk. You may be at a higher risk for getting CDI if you:
Can CDI come back after treatment?For some people, CDI may return after treatment ends. Out of every 10 people who have had CDI in the past, as many as 3 to 6 people will have CDI again. Understanding Your OptionsHow is CDI treated?There are several treatments for CDI, including:
AntibioticsIf your CDI happened after you took an antibiotic, your health care professional may have you stop taking the antibiotic. Your health care professional will likely give you a different antibiotic to help treat your CDI. The antibiotic your doctor recommends may depend on the availability and cost of the antibiotic, what is covered by your health insurance plan, and how severe your CDI is. Your health care professional will likely first recommend one of these antibiotics:
If metronidazole (Flagyl®) and vancomycin (Vancocin®) do not work to treat your CDI, your health care professional may recommend a newer kind of antibiotic:
What did researchers find about antibiotics for CDI?
What are possible side effects of antibiotics to treat CDI?The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) lists the following possible side effects of antibiotics to treat CDI. Just because a side effect is possible does not mean you will have it.
ProbioticsTo help keep your CDI from coming back, your health care professional may suggest that you take probiotics along with the antibiotic to treat your CDI. Probiotics are healthy bacteria and other microscopic organisms that are normally found in your body. Probiotics are taken as dietary supplements. They come in some foods, such as yogurt, kefir (a drink made from fermented milk), soy drinks, buttermilk, some soft cheeses, and enriched milk. Probiotics also come as a pill you can take by mouth. What did researchers find about probiotics?The chart below lists some different types of probiotics and what researchers found about each.
What are possible side effects of probiotics?Probiotics are usually safe for people who are generally healthy. Possible side effects of probiotics may include gas and bloating. For people with a weak immune system, S. boulardii may cause severe side effects, such as a life-threatening fungal infection. It is important to always talk with your health care professional before taking probiotics. Fecal Microbiota TransplantationFecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a newer type of treatment for CDI. Your health care professional may suggest FMT if antibiotics do not help your CDI or if your CDI keeps coming back. FMT is meant to help put some of the "good" bacteria back into your intestines. To do this, your health care professional takes a small amount of stool containing healthy bacteria from a person who does not have CDI and places it into your intestine. The stool may come from a close family member or from a healthy donor from a stool bank. What did researchers find about FMT?Researchers found that FMT appears to help stop diarrhea and to help keep CDI from coming back, but more research is needed to know this for sure. What are possible side effects of FMT?There is not much research on the short-term and long-term side effects of FMT. There is a chance of bleeding or infection, but the risk is low. Other possible side effects of FMT may include:
What can I do to help prevent CDI?
Making a DecisionWhat should I think about when deciding on treatment for my CDI?You and your health care professional can decide what might be best to treat CDI and help keep it from coming back. Talk with your health care professional about whether this is your first time to have CDI or whether you have had CDI in the past and it has come back. Ask your health care professional
SourceThe information in this summary comes from Butler M, Olson A, Drekonja D, Shaukat A, Schwehr N, Shippee N, Wilt TJ. Early Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of Clostridium difficile: Update. Comparative Effectiveness Review No. 172. (Prepared by the Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center under Contract No. 290-2012-00016-I.) AHRQ Publication No. 16-EHC012-EF. Rockville, MD: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; March 2016. Additional information came from the MedlinePlus website, a service of the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. This summary was prepared by the John M. Eisenberg Center for Clinical Decisions and Communications Science at Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX. It was written by Amelia Williamson Smith, M.S., Daniel Musher, M.D., Frank Domino, M.D., and Michael Fordis, M.D. People who have had CDI gave feedback on this summary. |