Clostridium difficile - or C. diff - is a bacterial infection that was largely unknown by the general public 8 years ago. But now it runs rampant in America's health care facilities.
Kentucky has the worst rate of C. diff infection in the country. Nationwide, over 400 hospital patients now die every day of C. diff. Countless others must have their colon or other organs removed.
Lisa McGiffert of the Consumers Union says C. diff "has increased exponentially in recent years."
Silly me. I thought the health care system was supposed to cure, not kill. Indeed, most people who get C. diff pick it up in health care facilities.
C. diff joins MRSA in the league of deadly superbugs spread in American hospitals.
Most states don't require hospitals to report C. diff to health agencies. That's because health care corporations have fought efforts to make this a requirement.
Health care reform can't come quickly enough.
(Source: http://nky.cincinnati.com/article/AB/20090710/NEWS0103/307100027/Bacteria+spread+hits+KY+hospitals)
Friday, July 10, 2009
Another superbug in America's hospitals
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I agree with you...My 6 year old daughter died as result of c. diff. I just read an article which shows Louisiana being in the 0 to 6.99 range of infection. I beg to differ...If the hospital would have followed proper protocal and reported this...she would be here today! I'm sick of these major hospital corporatins covering up their mistakes!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post about a very important topic! Like you mentioned above, the number of C. diff cases, especially in hospitals across the country, are on the rise. One of the most troublesome aspects of this disease is its high rate of recurrence (almost one in four C. diff patients will have a relapse!). Studies show that probiotics, particularly a strain called Saccharomyces boulardii, which is sold under the brand name Florastor, taken in combination with powerful antibiotics (i.e. metronidazole or vancomycin) during a relapse is effective against future recurrence of C. diff-associated disease. For more information on Florastor, visit www.florastor.com.
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