Why antibiotics aren’t always the answer

The bacteria Clostridium Difficile, commonly known as C. diff, is a rising concern in the health care community due to its high association to life-threatening diarrhea. According to the Centers for Disease Control in 2017, C. diff caused an estimated 12,800 deaths in the U.S. and attributed to $1 billion in health care spending.

C. Diff. is commonly found in the environment and is easily transmitted from one person to another, but that doesn’t mean everyone will get sick. Some risk factors of contracting C. diff are being over the age of 65, having a recent hospitalization, and having a weakened immune system; but the biggest risk factor of contracting C. diff diarrhea is being treated with an ample spectrum antibiotic. It is estimated that a person in antibiotic therapy is seven to 10 times more likely to get C. diff. This is why it is imperative to use antibiotics with caution.

A common practice most health providers execute with frequency in the flu season is to treat suspected viral infections with ample spectrum antibiotics. This practice puts the patient at risk of C. diff infection and is not a correct indication for said antibiotics, increasing the risk of antibiotic resistance in the community.

If you have been on antibiotic therapy for an extended period of time (more than a week) and have symptoms of severe diarrhea (such as watery stools or frequent bowel movements for several days), stomach pain or tenderness, fever, loss of appetite and nausea, you should visit your health provider. If the symptoms are severe and you have other risk factors as mentioned above, do not delay getting help from a health care provider.

~ Dr. Ramiro Icaza is a family practice physician at Alliance Health in Cape Girardeau.