Clostridium difficile

The infection most commonly affects people who have recently been treated with antibiotics, but can spread easily to others.

C. difficile infections are unpleasant and can sometimes cause serious bowel problems, but they can usually be treated with another course of antibiotics.


C. difficile infections are unpleasant and can sometimes cause serious bowel problems, but they can usually be treated with another course of antibiotics.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a C. difficile infection usually develop when you’re taking antibiotics, or when you’ve finished taking them within the last few weeks.

The most common symptoms are:

watery diarrhoea, which can be bloody painful tummy cramps feeling sick signs of dehydration, such as a dry mouth, headaches and peeing less often than normal a high temperature (fever) of above 38C (100.4F) loss of appetite and weight loss

In some cases, serious complications can develop, such as damage to the bowel or severe dehydration, which may cause drowsiness, confusion, a rapid heart rate and fainting.