To Christina...& moderators

[Sheila1]

Why do you suppose Cdiff is not a 'reportable' disease? I ask you gals, figuring someone has probably asked Dr. McDonald at some point in time or already knows the requirements.

What needs to be done to get it in the list?

Mind if I ramble a bit?.... no hurry to answer as I know you guys are overloaded. (and thanks Christina for answering on the vaccine and sending the link!)

As frustrating as not being reportable is, it's also frustrating that hospitals and caregivers aren't educating and warning people. Not even for MRSA which is all over the news. But in order to find out about it & what to do to help prevent it - you have to get on the net - and then it's generally only AFTER you've gotten one or both of them. Hospitals are spending time (too little in my opinion) educating caregivers, but shouldn't the patients be educated too? I'm thinking - if they'd given me a pamphlet with common hospital infection info. and how to avoid contracting them as much as possible maybe I'd have had the opportunity to tell my doc "no antibiotics" (it was just a preventative for surgery) or "wash your hands please;" and maybe I'd have known what was going on when I did get sick and not have gotten as sick as I did, would have known a plan of action.....and so on. (if)

Plus, even when I went to the hosp. sick and the doc ordered meds. and 4 days later finally left the hosp. I knew nothing, absolutely nothing, about the disease. Didn't even know it was a disease - just thought it was like a flu bug and I'd be fine in a few days. !

Somehow, that just doesn't seem right.

:( Sheila

When you go

[Bobbie]

Sheila,
C. diff. is a reportable disease in some states, but the few that do have regs. usually have critera that lets many cases "slip through the cracks" - such as reporting only cases where the patient has been hospitalized.

Last year, I contacted my state reps. and senators, the local dept. of health & the environ. and discovered there was a committee to amend the list of reported diseases in Kansas. I did a lot of research (Dr. McDonald, Dr. Borody, Kelly Karpa & the other mods. were helpful) and hours on an article to present to a committee of the Kansas Legislature. (See FAQ-Articles by Posters.) (I also contacted the editor of The KC Star and he said he would provide media coverage, but the idea was "nixed.") They did "hear me out" & put my article "in the record" where, I'm sure, it will stay forever forgotten. C. diff. is still not a reportable disease in KS -- or in MO.

Several members of the committe said I should talk to groups of docs. and nurses about C. diff. & hygiene. Right! I checked with several docs., and they were not interested in hearing from a layperson. So discouraging. We just need to find the "right venue." (See post about the UK site.)

If we do find the right "place," to publicize C. diff. I know we can count on you as you are one of our most pro-active members. Thanks for being one!

[Christina]

It is reportable here in Ohio. The Get Smart Program(CDC) is supposed to educate healthcare workers as well as consumers about the overuse of antibiotics and it's consequences. Last year Dr.McDonald told me he was going to speak to them and have them add c-diff info. to there website. So far the website has not changed!