Hello and welcome to the Zero to Finals podcast.

My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about Clostridium Diffasil.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero to finals.com slash c diff

or in the infectious diseases section of the second edition of the zero to finals medicine book.

So let's get straight into it.

Clostridium difficile, often called C. diff, is a gram-positive, rod-shaped, anaerobic bacteria.

Infection is associated with the repeated use of antibiotics, as well as proton pump inhibitors such as omeprosol and healthcare settings. C-difacil produces spores,

which are released in the feces, and these spores can survive on contaminated surfaces and hands

helping to spread the bacteria to others.

It can colonize the intestines without causing any symptoms or any issues,

and then when antibiotics interrupt the normal intestinal microbiome,

C-difacil can proliferate and get out of control.

It produces toxins, particularly toxin A, which is enterotoxin,

and toxin B, which is cytotoxin, and these toxins cause symptoms and complications.

Let's talk about the antibiotics associated with C-diff.

The antibiotics most associated with C-difacil start with the letter C,

and they include clindomysin, Cyprofloxacin, and other fluoroquinolones,

cephalosporins, and carbopenems, such as meropenem.

Next, let's talk about the presentation.

Colonization, where the bacteria live harmlessly in the intestines, is usually asymptomatic.

Infection presents with diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain.

Severe infection with colitis can present with dehydration and systemic symptoms such as fever,

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