Prophylaxis | Pseudomembranous colitis

Prophylaxis

The most important thing to protect against pseudomembranous colitis is a healthy intestinal flora.This provides natural protection against attacking bacteria. Probiotic preparations can be used for this purpose. These support a healthy intestinal flora, even under difficult conditions. Studies have shown that a regular intake of yoghurt improves the intestinal flora and thus prevents the occurrence of pseudomembranous colitis.

Prognosis

The prognosis of pseudomembranous colitis is strongly dependent on the severity of the disease and the patients’ previous illnesses. Since in most cases, patients with pseudomembranous colitis are already ill or multi-morbid, mortality is higher in these patient groups. In particular, patients who are dependent on antibiotic therapy can be severely affected by pseudomembranous colitis.

The reason for this is that the most important and sometimes the only measure is to discontinue antibiotic therapy. However, in some patients this is not possible due to the actual disease. There is a high mortality rate in this patient group. However, if it is possible to stop the antibiotic therapy without any problems, Clostridium difficile can be treated relatively easily. Nevertheless, the high risk of infection represents a major risk in hospitals and should be considered when contacting patients.

Can adequate nutrition prevent pseudomembranous colitis?

Pseudomembranous colitis is caused by antibiotics. Nutrition plays no role in the development of the disease. In the presence of pseudomembranous colitis, it is mainly the discontinuation of the antibiotic that triggers the disease and the drug therapy with another antibiotic that leads the way.

The type of nutrition plays no significant role in the treatment of the disease. In very severe cases, parenteral nutrition may be necessary at times. This means that the patient himself does not eat anything, but the nutrients are supplied to him by means of infusions via the vein. This is done during an inpatient hospital treatment.