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Why Did My Mother's Heart Stopped Momentarily?
My 88 yo mother has C Diff which has caused sever diarhea for 3 weeks. She was in ICU for 3 days after she collapsed in her apartment, and is still in the hospital, just not ICU. She has A fib, terrible swelling, no appetite and dark urine and still diarhea despite being given Flagell and Vandomycin (or something like that). She seems to steadily be going downhill. Is there any way to save her? Her heart momentarily stopped two days ago, and she couldn't talk or open her eyes for about 20 minutes, then she was back with us mentally. Could be a stroke? My sister and I just don't feel like we are getting any answers. We watched our father die from congestive heart failure with much the same symptoms, except, of course, C Diff. I just want to know what we are facing. Thanks for any info you can give.
Thu, 3 Jul 2014
Unfortunately she probably has a very serious strain of C diff which is hard to treat. It causes a severe inflammation and sometimes massive swelling of the colon and is highly fatal. Your mother in on the correct medicines for the infection. If her heart stopped briefly, she would be unconscious for that time. This is not considered a stroke. Her overall situation is complicated by the heart problem and her age. She is facing a very rocky course and a poor outcome is likely. My prayers are with you and your mother. Please let me know if you have further questions.
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