Bacteria that attack guts more widespread than believed, study finds

[Celebration]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/lifestyle/health/chi-c-diff-infections-12-nov12,0,1625948.story

A nasty germ that wreaks havoc in people's guts is infecting hospital patients at rates much higher than previously estimated, according to a report released Tuesday.

The study found that slightly more than 1 in every 100 hospital patients are struck by Clostridium difficile, commonly called C. diff. The bacterium can cause severe diarrhea, nausea and abdominal pain and sometimes leads to colon failure and death.

What's needed, experts suggest, are programs to improve cleanliness and hand-washing by hospital staff, as well as better control over antibiotics that can increase susceptibility to infections.

"This confirms what many of us have suspected: that this is a very widespread problem in virtually all hospitals," said Dr. Stuart Johnson, an associate professor of medicine at Loyola University's Stritch School of Medicine, who was not involved in the research.