Quote:
Originally Posted by golfing eagles
Sorry you had a personal encounter with pseudomembranous enterocolitis. This occurs when broad spectrum antibiotics administered DIRECTLY to a patient kills most of the normal intestinal bacteria and allows the overgrowth of a specific species---Clostridium difficile. This bacteria elaborates a toxin that causes profuse diarrhea. In and of itself it is not bad, it is about 8% of the normal intestinal bacteria and without it we would all be chronically constipated. It's only when it "runs amuck" and grows to 50,60,70% that the problems ensue. It can fairly easily be treated with metronidazole or in your case, vancomycin. This condition is a known possible side effect in 1-2% of those taking broad spectrum ABX and varies in severity greatly. Remember, as long as the original antibiotic was given for a legitimate reason, you probably cured an infection that could have been much worse.
For those of you worried about the OP, fear not. You CANNOT get this condition from meat that came from an animal that was given antibiotics. Let me clarify that---there is an extremely slight possibility if you eat your meat raw---not rare, RAW. If you make a habit of eating raw chicken or pork, consider yourself lucky to have survived this long. Besides, there are a lot more dangerous things in raw meat than antibiotics.
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I am such an advocate of good science.
I wish you were setting up practice here, Doc. But that's o.k., you deserve to retire, just like the rest of us.