UNIVERSITY OF THE CORDILLERAS

College of Nursing
MC-3: MICROBIOLOGY AND PARASITOLOGY LECTURE

I. Rationale

Clostridium difficicle infection (CDI or C-diff), additionally regarded as

Clostridium difficicle infection, is a symptomatic infection due to the spore-forming

bacterium Clostridioides difficicle (Aberra F., 2019). Common symptoms of this

bacterial infection include nausea, fever, stomach pain, and diarrhea (Dann S. et. al,

2013). Cases of antibiotic-associated diarrhea make up about twenty percent. Antibiotics

contribute to unsafe changes in the intestinal microbiota; specifically, they decrease

short-chain fatty acid absorption which effects in osmotic, or watery, diarrhea. Health

complications include poisonous mega colon, pseudomembranous colitis, sepsis, and

perforation of the colon. There are two protein toxins produced by infectious pathogens,

toxins A and B, which deactivate the RHO-GTPases of host cells by means of

glucosylation (Kim S. et. al, 2017). Recently rising hypervirulent traces of Clostridium

difficicle dispatch higher amounts of toxins A and B, are resistant toward

fluoroquinolones, and produce extra protein poison called Clostridium difficicle

transferase (CDT). Hence, the part of CDT as a harmful component is not understood

(Hunt J. & Ballard J., 2013).

The American Sentinel College and Health Sciences (2014), stated that as health

care nurses, it is their responsibility to recognize the early symptoms of Clostridium

difficile. As soon as a patient develops loose bowels of obscure origin, medical caretakers

ought to take after their organization’s disease anticipation methods for initiating contact

and/or isolation safety measures, to avoid the potential spread of spores. They ought to
utilize individual defensive gear like gloves and outfits and ensure secure handling gear

like bedpans and thermometers that can effectively end up contaminated. Once C.

difficile is affirmed through testing, nurses should always survey patients for signs of

complications. This incorporates checking the guts for distention or tenderness,

monitoring the patient for fever, and assessing stool for the presence of blood. Also,

nursing care should center on hydration and skin judgment. (The grinding from visit

cleaning after various fluid bowel developments can cause skin aggravation that leads to

dermatitis.). A group of researchers led by Judy Ames, BSc, DipN, R.N. (2006), stated

seven nursing interventions aimed at lessening the infections caused by C. difficile

includes the following; Increased ward cleaning, review of antibiotic prescribing,

improved isolation management, promotion of handwashing, increased awareness of the

management of patients infected with C. difficile, utilization of probiotics, and improved

documentation with the introduction of the Bristol Stool Chart. Healthcare nurses should

actively involve in educating patients and their family members about the harmful

infection of Clos difficile and its chain of transmission, so they understand the hygiene

measures that can prevent recurrence or spread of infection. And as always, nurses should

do whatever they can to promote patient comfort, particularly when the patient is in

isolation and vulnerable to psychological distress (American Sentinel College and Health

Sciences, 2014).
 II. REFERENCES (APA FORMAT)

Miller, J. M., Walton, J. C., & Tordecilla, L. L. (1998). Recognizing and managing Clostridium

difficile-associated diarrhea. Medsurg nursing: official journal of the Academy of Medical-

Surgical Nurses, 7(6), 348–356. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10036439/

Judy Ames, BSc, DipN, RN et. Al (2006). Interventions to reduce Clostridium difficile infection.

Nursing Times. 102 (49), 30.

https://www.nursingtimes.net/clinical-archive/infection-control/interventions-to-reduce-

clostridium-difficile-infection-05-12-2006/

American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences (2014). C. Difficile: What You

Should Know. American Sentinel College of Nursing and Health Sciences at Post University.

https://www.americansentinel.edu/blog/2014/10/29/c-difficile-what-you-should-know/

Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality (2017). Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of C.

difficile: Current State of the Evidence. Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment of C. difficile:

Current State of the Evidence | Effective Health Care (EHC) Program.

https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/products/c-difficile-update/clinician

Schwan C., et. Al (2009). Clostridium difficile Toxin CDT Induces Formation of Microtubule-

Based Protrusions and Increases Adherence of Bacteria. National Library of Medicine. 5 (10),

e1000626. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19834554/

Aberra F. (2019). Clostridioides (Clostridium) Difficile Colitis. Drugs and Diseases.

https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/186458-overview
Dann S. et. al (2013). Community-Acquired Clostridium Difficile Infection: Awareness and

Clinical Implications. Nurse Practice. 9 (1), 1-6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23814528/

Kim S. et. al (2017). The intestinal microbiota: Antibiotics, colonization resistance, and enteric

pathogens. US National Library of Medicine. 279 (1), 90–105.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6026851/

Hunt J. & Ballad J. (2013). Variations in Virulence and Molecular Biology among Emerging Strains of

Clostridium difficile. US National Library of Medicine. 77 (4), 567–581.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3973386/
III. Results of Plagiarism Checker

Results of plagiarism is 10% it was uploaded to https://smallseotools.com/plagiarism-

checker/