C. difficile
Structured condition card with NCLEX priority cues and nursing action focus.
Infectious Diseasehigh priorityneeds review
C. difficile
Also testable as: Clostridioides difficile
Etiology / Pathophysiology
- Antibiotic-associated disruption of gut flora allows toxin-producing C. difficile overgrowth.
- Toxins inflame colon causing watery diarrhea and possible colitis.
Medications
| Class | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Antibiotics by class | Specific therapy targets C. difficile per protocol. |
Nursing actions
- Use contact enteric precautions and soap-and-water hand hygiene.
- Assess stool frequency, dehydration, abdominal pain, fever, and WBC.
- Avoid unnecessary antidiarrheals unless ordered.
Complications
- Dehydration
- Toxic megacolon
- Sepsis
- Recurrence
NCLEX cues
- Watery foul diarrhea after antibiotics.
- Alcohol sanitizer alone is not enough for spores.
Memory hooks
- C. diff spores need soap and water.
Labs / Diagnostics
- Trend assessment findings and ordered diagnostics; verify exact values with school source material.
Review notes
- Session-derived study seed. Verify against school materials, ATI/NCLEX review sources, current orders, and facility policy before relying on details.