C. Diff In 30 Minutes: A guide to Clostridium difficile for patients and families

by J. Thomas Lamont

Overview

Revised and updated second edition! Have you been diagnosed with C. diff, or do you have a family member suffering from symptoms of a Clostridium difficile infection? Do you want to know what causes C. diff, how to limit its spread, and learn about modern C. diff management from a gastroenterologist with deep expertise?

C. Diff In 30 Minutes: A Guide To Clostridium Difficile For Patients And Families, is written by author, doctor, and Harvard Medical School Professor J. Thomas Lamont, M.D. Dr. Lamont uses plain-English explanations and case studies to describe this unpleasant bacterial infection and how it can be managed. One of the world's top experts on C. diff, Dr. Lamont has conducted ground-breaking research on the bacterium and has helped thousands of patients struggling with an initial outbreak of C. diff or recurrent C. diff.

Clostridium difficile, or C. diff, is one of the most common hospital-acquired infections in the United States. Patients who visit a hospital for a simple outpatient visit can catch it. C. diff is also a problem in some nursing homes, where elderly residents can suffer after being infected. The C diff superbug is a bacteria like E coli, and it is on the rise nationwide. In a recent study at a major Boston teaching hospital, nearly 1/3 of inpatients who were given antibiotics were infected with C. diff. More than half of these patients suffered from diarrhea and other symptoms.

Contents Of The C. Diff Book

• The origins of C. diff
• C. diff symptoms
• Four C. diff cases, from infection to recovery
• Antibiotics that can lead to C. diff infections
• C. diff management, including antibiotics such as metronidazole (Flagyl) and Vancomycin
• Cutting-edge C. diff management such as stool transplants and fecal microbial transfer (FMT)
• C. diff and probiotics
• How to limit the spread of C. diff
• Recurring C. diff
• A glossary of medical terms

C. Diff In 30 Minutes is not a DIY guide. A doctor is needed to diagnose C. diff and help patients manage the infection. However, this Clostridium difficile book can help you understand what your doctor, gastroenterologist, or infectious disease specialist is recommending and why. If you or a loved one has C. diff, C. Diff In 30 Minutes can be an invaluable and expert resource to understand and deal with the infection.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781641880145
Publisher:	i30 Media Corporation
Publication date:	03/27/2018
Pages:	82
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.25(d)

About the Author

Dr. J. Thomas Lamont, M.D. has treated thousands of patients suffering from C. diff over the past three decades and has conducted ground-breaking research on the C. diff bacterium and its associated toxins. He is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and served as the Gastroenterology Division Chief at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston from 1996 to 2012. He is also an associate editor of GI and liver diseases for the New England Journal Of Medicine.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Introduction

CHAPTER 1 The many faces of C. diff

Jeannie’s story: “My stomach feels terrible”

Al’s story: “My C. diff won’t go away”

Mrs. E’s story: “Do you think I will ever be rid of this awful C. diff?”

Martina’s story: “My C. diff is gone, so why do I still have diarrhea?”

CHAPTER 2 C. diff: a nasty bug with bad toxins

Convalescent carriers

How C. diff spreads

Limiting the spread of C. diff

Why do some patients get C. diff after taking antibiotics?

The importance of a healthy colon

C. diff in babies: an unsolved mystery

How your immune system fi ghts C. diff

Why does C. diff sometimes keep coming back?

CHAPTER 3 Treatment options for C. diff infections

Treatment of acute C. diff: the first attack

Inciting antibiotics

Treating antibiotics

Treating severe C. diff

Recurrent C. diff

How to tell that C. diff has returned

Dealing with second recurrences and beyond

Pulsed-tapered dosing of Vanco

Stool transfers

OpenBiome capsules

Other treatment options

CHAPTER 4 The future of C. diff.

A C. diff vaccine?

About the author

A special request

Glossary

Online resources

Index