Clostridium Difficile

Treatment for C. difficile

Source: NHS

Your GP will decide whether you need hospital treatment (if you're not already in hospital). Ifthe infection isrelatively mild, you may be treated at home.

If you're in hospital, youmight be moved to a room of your own during treatment to reduce the risk of the infection spreading to others.

Treatment for C. difficile can include:

  • stoppingthe antibiotics thought to be causing the infection, if possible in mild cases, this may be the only treatment that's needed
  • taking a 10 to 14-day course of antibiotics that are known to kill C. difficile bacteria
  • rarely,seriousinfections mayrequiresurgery to remove a damaged section of the bowel

C. difficile infectionsusually respond well to treatment, with most people making a full recovery in a week or two. However, the symptoms come back in around 1 in 5 cases and treatment may need to be repeated.

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