What is CDAD?
CDAD is the acronym for the medical condition called Clostridium Difficile Associated Disease, or C. difficile. With CDAD, a bacterium that yields two exotoxins infects the body. These two exotoxins are identified as toxin A and B, or enterotoxin and cytotoxin. CDAD is usually associated with diarrhea and other threatening intestinal conditions, such as colitis. Colitis is a digestive disease characterized by inflammation of the colon. It results in tenderness, pain, bleeding, and fever. The bacterium that causes CDAD is anaerobic and spore forming, which means that it does not require oxygen to grow and to survive. As a result, this bacterium can easily infect a person’s body. The bacteria that cause CDAD are commonly found in the feces of people who suffer from the disease. Therefore, CDAD can easily be acquired if one touches areas contaminated with feces and then puts a hand in his or her mouth or mucous membranes. Individuals who overuse antibiotics are at a greater risk of develo
CDAD is caused by an overgrowth of C. difficile, a resident anaerobic spore forming bacterium of the lower gastrointestinal tract. This overgrowth is caused by the use of antibiotics for the treatment of common community and hospital acquired infections. Although they treat the underlying infection, many antibiotics disrupt the natural gut flora and allow C. difficile to proliferate. C. difficile produces toxins that lead to severe diarrhea, pseudomembraneous colitis, and toxic megacolon. CDAD treatment options are limited. Vancocin® (oral vancomycin pulvules, ViroPharma) is the only FDA approved agent for the treatment of CDAD. Despite this indication, Vancocin is generally relegated to second line treatment for severe and relapse cases due to concerns about vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) generation and the drug’s high cost. Despite lacking an approved label for CDAD, oral metronidazole (Flagyl, generic) is the de-facto first line standard of care in virtually all CDAD cases —
CDAD is a bacterial infection that causes diarrhea and more serious intestinal conditions, such as colitis. People who get CDAD are usually elderly and taking antibiotics for another infection. They also are usually patients in hospitals or residents in nursing homes. Clostridium difficile bacteria are found in the feces of an infected person. Other people can become infected if they touch items or surfaces that are contaminated with the bacteria and then touch their mouth. CDAD can be treated by a healthcare provider with a 10-day course of antibiotics that specifically treats CDAD. More serious cases of CDAD may require hospitalization or surgery.
