New: Question about Transmission

[lisalarry]

I am new to all of this. My mother is in a nursing home recovering from a broken hip. She was tested on Wednesday for c difficile and we found out Friday that she has it. I am very concerned for her, but my question to you concerns how contagious this is. I am pregnant. My daughter and I visited my mother on Tuesday. I am very worried that either my daughter or I will come down with c difficle as well. Can anyone tell me: If we do not have symptoms now (Monday), are we still at risk? If so, is there any point at which we will be able to breath easier. Also, do you feel it is safe for me to visit her? My sister has been going since the c difficile diagnosis, but says she hasn't been touching anything.

[Nancy1]

Welcome to the group that no one wants to join, for you and your mother. Be sure to read All Users Read This First, Dr. Borody's article, Dr. McDonald's article (in the FAQ section under Articles by Experts), and all areas in FAQ that interest you.

Cdiff is not very contagious, unless you are taking antibiotics, on chemotherapy, or have similar health issues. I would say, wash your hands, wash your hands. Wash your daughter's hands. That is the most important thing you can do to keep from getting cdiff. Don't just use the alcohol wipes, use soap and water, and sing the Happy Birthday song so you wash your hands a good long time.

As far as the time between exposure and getting cdiff, it can be a long time. I would be careful about taking antibiotics if you can avoid them.

When I had cdiff, my daughter-in-law was pregnant, and then had a C section. My ID doc told me to wait 3-4 months after the birth, to see her and the new baby. I don't know if this was because of the C section or not. I did go to visit her about 3 weeks before the birth. No one caught anything.

So I would think it's safe to visit your mother as long as you do the hand washing.

[junbug1029]

Hi,
I'm sorry to hear that your mom has come down with this nasty infection. I hope she recovers quickly!
I got c diff 6 months ago and am still fighting it. I don't know how I got it...no known exposure, hospitilization or antibiotic use. The best defense is good handwashing, and don't forget to scrub under your nails. If your mom's nursing home has an isolation unit or access to an infectious disease specialist, I would ask for advice. Your OB/Gyn may not be very knowledgable about c diff. Personally, I would avoid touching anything in the room, wouldn't use her bathroom, and I may also avoid touching her or kissing her. I know that can be very hard to do! At home I spray the toilet and sink with the 10 to 1 ratio of water to bleach that I mix in a spray bottle. I do this everytime I use the bathroom at home. You may want to consider that as a precautionary measure.
Good luck to you and your family and keep us posted!

[cindym]

Practice very good handwashing, do not use her toilet and while pregnant allow other members to do her laundry. I really would not be very concerned but I would keep my hands away from face TOTALLY while in the hospital and wash them immediately upon leaving and use purell afterwards just to be on the safe side. Other than that........love your loved one as they will not be around forever! Of course, I would run it past my ob/gyn for their opinion.......if they express any.

[lisalarry]

Thank you very much for taking time to respond. Would y'all recommend that I try to be tested, even though I have no symptoms. I am very concerned about this affecting the baby or my family. I guess I could be infected and not know it, or not get symptoms for months?

[klt03301]

Hi. I'm so sorry that your Mom has this. I just wanted to let you know that before I came to this board, I had no idea that I needed to do much of anything to better control my chances of not reinfecting myself. Even my doctors didn't tell me anything, other than to stay away from my grandson until I was clear...he has a history of MRSA. I've learned so much from the people here about hygiene and the things I should be doing such as a more thorough type of handwashing, bleach, what to wash my clothes in, etc. I've been a chronic hand washer all my life, but I caught C Diff in the hospital this February while there for a hysterectomy. I got sick 4 days after the surgery, and there were many people with me. My boyfriend at the time was at my apartment and we used the same bathroom...he was here on and off throughout my active C Diff...he never got it, and I hadn't been doing the things I later learned about on here. I went to stay with my Mom for a couple of weeks while I was sick, and she is fine. We used seperate bathrooms and were very careful about washing our hands, etc.

I know it's hard, but try not to worry. I don't know if a doctor would test you without symptoms, but it can't hurt to ask. Just be very careful about hygiene and hand washing! Also, my infectious disease doctor told me to avoid antibiotics if possible for the next 6 months to a year when I got C Diff, as they are a trigger for it. I'm sure you'll get a lot of advice here, but worry and stress are enough to make you sick by themselves (and wreak havoc on your immune system)...so try not to worry so much! I'm hoping that your mother will recover soon and you and your daughter won't have to worry about this.

Karen