Marlou O.

Salvani BIOL 110 YC – 1

BS Chemistry 3 Ms. Gertrude M. Garcia

The Enthralling World of Clostridioides difficile and the Poop Transplant

Do you wash your hands well? How well is it? After reading this, you might want to consider
doing it.
The human digestive tract is home to an estimated 500 to 1,000 different species of
microorganisms, most of which are harmless, or even helpful, and live in harmony. However,
if something upsets the balance, such as treatment with antibiotics or cancer chemotherapy,
then certain harmful organisms can multiply out of control and cause illness. Clostridioides
difficile infection, or CDI for short, is an example of this. It is caused when the Clostridioides
difficile – which name prior to 2019 was Clostridium difficile – bacterium grows out of
control.
Clostridioides difficile is part of the normal bacteria found in some
people’s intestines or colons. For the estimated 3 percent of people who
have C. difficile bacteria living in their guts, it’s usually no big deal. C.
difficile just sort of hang out, kept in check by all their other bacteria
gut-mates.
But sometimes the balance of power gets messed up. Whether it’s
because of old age, illness, or antibiotics, those “good” bacteria get
killed off, and C. diff begins taking over—leading to diarrhea, fever,
and even death.
C. diff produces spores when attacked by antibiotics. The spores can live in the open air or in
dirt for up to two years. C. diff bacterium and its spores are found in high amounts in feces of
infected people, who can then spread the infection to surfaces, such as food or other objects,
if they don’t wash their hands properly after using the toilet, and if proper cleaning protocols
are not in place in healthcare facilities.
Risk Factors for Clostridium difficile infection
1. Antimicrobial Exposure 4. Serious underlying illness
 2. Length of stay in a healthcare 5. History of non-surgical GI procedures
facility
3. Advancing age 6. Suppressed immune system
SYMPTOMS
When the gut’s beneficial bowel bacteria are disrupted, the
C. diff bacterium can multiply and produce toxins that
damage the bowel, causing inflammation. Colitis is a
term that describes inflammation of the colon, so
you might hear the term Clostridioides difficile
colitis to describe this inflammation.
The symptoms of CDI include liquid diarrhea,
dehydration, fever, appetite loss, and abdominal pain or
tenderness, which are often severe, causing major distress and pain. In very serious cases, C.
diff infection can even result in death. C. diff as seen as seen under
optical microscopy
TREATMENT

Traditional antibiotics often don’t work against C. diff. But you know what does work? Poop
transplants.
Putting someone else’s poop in one’s body brings in reinforcements
for the good bacteria, which whip C. diff back under control. (And the
transplant is administered through a tube in your nose. Really!).
Transplanting donor stool is effective because it replaces the good
bowel flora that was killed off by the use of antibiotics and naturally
combats the invasive bacterium.
How well do these transfers work? In one study, 15 out of 16 patients
who got a poop transplant recovered from their C. diff symptoms—
while only four out of 13 patients on antibiotics got over their C. diff
symptoms.
INFECTION CONTROL STRATEGIES
Want to avoid getting C. diff? Wash your hands properly!!! It makes it
less likely that C. diff spores will hitch a ride into your mouth (and
later—to your gut).
Other preventive measures include:
1. Contact Precautions 3. Environmental Disinfection
2. Identification of Cases 4. Appropriate use of antibiotics

REFERENCES:
- Clostridioides difficile Infection. (2020, July 2). Gastrointestinal Society.
https://badgut.org/information-centre/a-z-digestive-topics/clostridium-difficile-infection/
- What you need to know about Clostridium difficile. (2012, April 20). APIC.
https://apic.org/monthly_alerts/what-you-need-to-know-about-clostridium-difficile/