C. difficile infection (C. diff infection) is a highly contagious bacterial infection that causes half a million illnesses and tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. each year. Yet, few people know what it is and how it occurs, despite being declared a public health threat by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).1-3

C. diff infection causes debilitating symptoms such as severe diarrhea, fever, stomach pain, loss of appetite, nausea and colitis.1 This infection can happen to anyone, at any age, and can be contracted in some of the most common places in the community and in hospitals.4-6 When the infection strikes, it can have a devastating impact on everyday life, including taking care of loved ones, going to work regularly and carrying out typical activities. And C. diff infection can come back – known as a recurrence.

Antibiotics – the current standard of care for treatment of C. diff infection – treat the disease but also can be a contributing factor to the cycle of recurrence.1,7 It has been estimated that up to 35% of C. diff infection cases can recur after the initial diagnosis8-11, and after first recurrence up to 65% may develop a subsequent recurrence.11,12

Recently, the FDA approved a first-of-its-kind microbiome-based treatment to prevent recurrent C. diff infection after completing antibiotics for recurrent C. diff infection.

Paul Feuerstadt, M.D., Yale University School of Medicine, will discuss:
• What is C. diff infection and who is vulnerable to contracting it
• Why does this infection recur and what are the consequences of recurrence
• What are the treatment options for recurrent C. diff infection
• How has the newest FDA-approved treatment changed how recurrent C. diff infection may be treated

Patricia, who suffered from recurrent C. diff infection, will share her personal story of her struggle with the infection, how it impacted her life and how she broke the cycle of recurrence.
Footnotes available on request

Courtesy: Ferring Pharmaceuticals
www.REBYOTA.com

Interview is courtesy of Ferring Pharmaceuticals

The post A DEVASTATING DISEASE YOU MAY NEVER HAVE HEARD OF BUT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT: C. DIFFICILE INFECTION appeared first on Good News!.

Living with ulcerative colitis (UC) can make working, maintaining relationships and juggling family responsibilities difficult. A global survey of 1,254 gastroenterologists and 2,100 adults with a self-reported history of UC revealed both men and women experienced the impact of UC on day-to day life, including emotional wellbeing.1

Now, with the added challenges of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on emotional wellbeing is more important than ever.

Laurie Keefer, PhD, who is a psychologist with Mount Sinai Hospital’s IBD Center in New York City who specializes in the psychosocial care of patients with chronic digestive diseases, most notably Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis (UC). Allyson, who has a history of UC, to discuss the emotional impact of UC and share tips for those living with UC on how to have more effective conversations with their healthcare team. Both Dr. Keefer and Allyson have been compensated by Pfizer to appear in this interview today.

Before we start, it is important to note that results from the UC Narrative are not representative of all UC patients, and only reflect responses of those who took the survey. For more information about the survey limitations and methodology, visit talkinguc.com.

BIO: Dr Laurie Keefer is an academic health psychologist and the Director for Psychobehavioral Research within the Division of Gastroenterology. She specializes in the psychosocial care of patients with chronic digestive diseases, specifically inflammatory bowel diseases such as Crohn’s or ulcerative colitis. Dr. Keefer came to Mount Sinai in January 2016 from Chicago, IL to lead a subspecialty medical home for inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD).

The Mount Sinai IBD medical home, known as GRITT-IBD(TM) focuses on gaining resilience through transitions as they occur across the lifespan of patients living with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Dr Keefer’s clinical and research interests are in the area of IBD disease self-management, gut-directed hypnotherapy, resilience, the psychosocial care needs of emerging adults with chronic disease and cognitive-behavior therapy. She is a sought after speaker and mentor. She chairs the Division of Psychogastroenterology within the Rome Foundation and is on the Council of the American Neurogastroenterology and Motility Society.

BIO

My name is Allyson and I was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis (UC) in 2007 at the age of 29. In hindsight I am certain I had symptoms that went undiagnosed for years, if not back to childhood. My diagnosis and progression of my UC was quite rapid and debilitating, resulting in being bed ridden and hospitalized within less than a month. After 3 years of hospitalizations and a very poor quality of life, I made an emergent decision to have a 3-stage total colectomy. This process had profound impacts of my physical and emotional wellbeing, as well as self-image due to body changes, and I feel strongly about advocating for patients with UC. I feel I often went without a voice until I was able to learn to speak up for myself as I learned more about my UC. As there is no cure, I continue to manage my daily life in often challenging, or what would appear impossible situations to those without UC. I am resilient and strong in a way that I only learned through my UC journey. I live a fulfilling life that may require adjustments, and I am grateful for the opportunities to advocate.

Interview courtesy: Pfizer

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The post Living with ulcerative colitis… appeared first on Good News!.