5th Annual Drake Naylor Invitational

C-Diff

Well, what can I say... I haven't posted on Drake in so long because we have been flying under the radar. Frankly it's been quite nice to not be so focused on doctors, hospitals specialists, nurses, well... you get it! So with that said, here's a quick update!

Drake has acquired a "little" nasty batch of bacteria called C-Diff:

WebMD Health News
May 30, 2008 -- While bird flu and MRSA have been making headlines, a dangerous strain of C. diff has been making people sick in 38 U.S. states.

C. diff sickens about a half million Americans every year, and every year the epidemic gets about 10% bigger, CDC medical epidemiologist L. Clifford McDonald, MD, tells WebMD.

Bigger -- and more deadly. The death rate is soaring by 35% a year.

From 1999 to 2004, the bug became four times more lethal, with death rates increasing from 5.7 per million Americans to 23.7 per million Americans in 2004. During one hospital outbreak in Quebec, Canada, the one-year death rate hit 17%.


C. diff disease can range from mild diarrhea to life-threatening colitis. The bug produces toxins that destroy the mucosal lining of the gut.

There are many different C. diff strains circulating in the U.S. But since 2000, one of these strains has gone from a minor player to become the most frequently isolated C. diff strain. The strain has several names. Referring to its genetic fingerprint, the CDC calls it NAP1. In Europe and Canada, it's often called the 027 or BI strain.

The NAP1 strain of C. diff took off shortly after it acquired resistance to fluoroquinolone antibiotics. There's some evidence it may also have acquired some resistance to Flagyl, one of the two antimicrobial agents used to treat it (the other is vancomycin).

Antibiotic resistance isn't the only worrisome thing about NAP1. C. diff normally makes two toxins. The NAP1 strain makes 16 times more toxin A and 23 times more toxin B. And it also makes another toxin, called binary toxin, although it's not yet clear how this toxin affects humans.

A recent report shows that adult C. diff hospitalizations doubled between 2000 and 2005 to about 300,000 hospitalizations a year. That's more hospitalizations than are seen with MRSA, which sends about 126,000 Americans to the hospital each year.

The CDC's C. diff expert, L. Clifford McDonald, MD, tells WebMD that if you count pediatric C. diff cases and cases in the community that do not enter the hospital, there are probably half a million U.S. cases of C. diff infection each year.

And yes, it is an epidemic: The infection rate is going up by about 10% a year. But the death rate is going up even faster, says Marya Zilberberg, MD, adjunct professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and president of the EviMed Research Group.



So with all that fancy, scary, dis-heartening news... Drake in on his second round of hopstial visits and second round of antibiotics. What do we do next? That's a good question!!! He is losing weight as I type (6 pounds in 6 weeks). That's not good for someone who is only 29 lbs to begin with!!! The docs have mentioned TPN.

TPN stands for Total Parenteral Nutrition. This is a complete form of nutrition, containing protien, sugar, fat, and added vitamins and minerals as needed for each individual. It is admininstered through an intavenous infusion, usually using a central line. A central line is a special long lasting IV line that goes through a vein directly to the heart. It is usually placed on the chest, though sometimes if the location must be changed frequently it will be placed in other areas such as the groin or the neck.



Drake continues to have severe vomiting, diarrhea and possible stomach cramps. Mommy here is going to suggest the possibility of a new formula, colonoscopy and what are the chances he has Nora-Virus on top of all this fun? Not sure where this day will take us, but I do know I have the bravest little guy with the biggest spirit and a smile to make all the "mommy tears" disappear!!! As Lance Armstong would say, "Live Strong".

We can't begin to say thanks you to all who have already showed their support for Drake and our family during this debacle. Facebook has been a real time saver on getting updates to people (except those who haven't joined the FB train). Please take a moment to read the post my sweet friend MJ wrote!

And the story continues...

The ABC's

Look what Drake is learning in school!