What happens if c diff goes untreated

Updated Mar 28, [ Full text ] 2. American Academy of Family Physicians. Clostridium difficile C. Updated Apr [ Full text ] 3. Meta-analysis of antibiotics and the risk of community-associated Clostridium difficile infection. Antimicrob Agents and Chemother May;57 5 [ Full text ] 4. Clostridium difficile colitis medication.

You can take a few precautions to avoid contracting a C. There are three common ways doctors diagnose C. To determine if you have C. He or she may also make the diagnosis after taking an x-ray or a CT scan of your colon to look for signs of C. Rarely, your doctor may need to do a colon examination, which requires using a camera to look for signs that your colon is infected. Symptoms of C. What if I have symptoms? Progression of a C.

Top of Page. Get Email Updates. To receive email updates about this page, enter your email address: Email Address. But some antibiotics can interfere with the balance of bacteria in the bowel, which can cause the C. When this happens, C. Once out of the body, the bacteria turn into resistant cells called spores. These can survive for long periods on hands, surfaces such as toilets , objects and clothing unless they're thoroughly cleaned, and can infect someone else if they get into their mouth.

Someone with a C. You can reduce your risk of picking it up or spreading it by practising good hygiene, both at home and in healthcare settings. Find out how to prevent germs spreading. Page last reviewed: 23 November Next review due: 23 November Clostridium difficile.