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Description
Flashcards by Kirsty Jayne Buckley, updated more than 1 year ago
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Created by Kirsty Jayne Buckley
about 9 years ago
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| Question | Answer |
| What type of bacteria is C. difficile? | Anaerobic - doesn't need oxygen. Usually lives in the large intestine |
| How do you kill the spores? (4 ways) | Soap and water Sporicidal wipes Hydrogen Peroxide Vapour (HPV) Bleach and water |
| What makes C.difficile so difficult to kill? | It's a spore, not a virus. The spores are extremely hardy Can live for 5 months devoid of food. |
| List the 6 symptoms | Diarrhoea Pyrexia Loss of appetite Nausea Abdominal pain Classic smell |
| What complication can arise from C. difficile? | Pseudomembranous colitis - perforations in bowel allow faeces to leak into the abdominal cavity. Added symptom of blood in the faeces |
| How is it spread? | Same as any infection really - person to person, poor hand hygiene, environmental contamination; commodes, bedrails, tables, lockers, door handles etc etc. |
| What 4 types of patients are most at risk? | Elderly Those with a serious underlying illness Those on broad spectrum antibiotics Those that are critically ill, such as ITU or dialysis patients. |
| What are the three main risks to patients? | Malnutrition Malabsorption Dehydration |
| What acronym is used? | SIGHT S = suspect infective cause I = Isolate patient G = Gloves and aprons H = Hand washing T - Test the stool |
| Treatment? | Metronidazole 400mg & stop broad spectrum antibiotics. Live yogurt Brewers yeast Faecal enemas Faecal transplant |
| What are the control measures? | As well as SIGHT, the patient must be symptom free for 48 hours and the room treated with HPV if possible. Early isolation is key to prevent the spread. |
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