Clostridioides difficile (syn. Clostridium difficile) is a bacterium that is well known for causing serious diarrheal infections, and may also cause colon cancer. Also known as C. difficile, or C. diff (/siː dɪf/). The diarrhea may range from a few days of intestinal fluid loss to life-threatening pseudomembranous colitis, which is associated with intense inflammation of the colon and formation of pseudomembranes on the intestinal mucosal surface.
Diarrhea caused by C. difficile has a distinctive, unpleasant smell and is stringy and difficult to clean up. C. difficile is spread by the fecal-oral route, dealing with C. difficile diarrhea blow-outs is a major exposure to the pathogen to health-care providers.
C. difficile produces up to three types of toxins: enterotoxin A, cytotoxin B and Clostridioides difficile transferase (CDT).
Clostridioides difficile is an important emerging human pathogen; according to the CDC, in 2017 there were 223,900 cases in hospitalized patients and 12,800 deaths in the United States. Although C. difficile is commonly known as a hospital and antibiotic associated pathogen, at most one third of infections can be traced to transmission from an infected person in hospitals.
Antibiotic treatment of C. diff infections may be difficult, due both to antibiotic resistance and physiological factors of the bacterium (spore formation, protective effects of the pseudomembrane). The emergence of a new, highly toxic strain of C. difficile, resistant to fluoroquinolone antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin and levofloxacin, said to be causing geographically dispersed outbreaks in North America, was reported in 2005. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control warned of the emergence of an epidemic strain with increased virulence, antibiotic resistance, or both. Resistance to other antibiotics such as metronidazole, the first choice of antimicrobial drug when treating CDI, has been observed in up to 12% of clinical isolates, so as treatment with various antibiotics continues, more diverse and stronger resistances will continue to evolve in C. difficile populations, further complicating attempts at effective treatment. -Wikipedia
It is commonly believed that broad-spectrum antibiotics impact the relative population/composition of the hundreds of species of bacteria (and other little critters) that live in our guts. C. diff is able to out-compete the suppressed species and perpetuates the imbalance.
C. diff is a reasonable metaphor for Woke HR departments which carpet bomb the native diversity of the work force the way a broad-spectrum antibiotic shocks our guts.
The constant assault of the Woke HR department knocks the entire organization out-of-kilter and is a drag on productivity and employee retention. The loss of native diversity reduces the organization's resilience to other environmental shocks and ultimately can lead to the demise of the organization.
The power and lack of internal controls in HR seems to attract people with pathological personalities. Like C. diff, Woke HR is most dangerous to otherwise at-risk people like older, less employable workers and people with legacy skills.
Ya know its a funny observation, I'm kinda in the market for a job and use that one website that rhymes with bumweed. About a week ago they started putting these little icons on the job postings that denote a 'responsive employer', or 'satisfying work'. By far my favorite, no doubt is having unintended consequences (as happens with carpet bombing), is the badge for 'inclusive employer'. I wonder how many other people use that icon to skip right over that listing without even looking at it?
ReplyDeletePart B: what 2nd order affects will this have in industries already saturated with diverse workforce? Or with an HR manager who wants that tag on their job posting...?
4% of the population. Thats whats causing all of this. 4%. 96 people get to be uncomfortable so that 4 other people aren't. Makes sense to me!
Unfortunately my C-diff was the result of the drugs from sepsis. But I have pills. Thanks heaven for the pills. Maybe someone could make a drug for the HR dept. When they think they are the ruling class you could pop a pill in their mouth during a rant.
ReplyDeleteThe Dictionary of Corporate Bullshit: An A to Z Lexicon of Empty, Enraging, and Just Plain Stupid Office Talk has a great definition of HR. I can't remember the exact word but it was something like where the least talented go to build a career. Excellent book.
ReplyDeleteAn apt metaphor, C Diff is unpleasant and does smell to high heaven. Makes life unbearable and messy. HR departments fit that to a T. Hospital culture is no exception. I ever get a chance to own a large enough company, I would have a "Personnel Department" with no direct hiring power. We are not a human resource, not unlike coal, ore, chemicals, wood metals, those are resources, we are people that are productive.
ReplyDeleteYoung healthy people rarely have issues with C. Diff. But it can and frequently does kill the elderly. It's a nasty disease. So wash your hands.... thoroughly....with soap. It's not killed by alcohol hand cleansers. Hand washing and soap are THE BEST defense against illness known to mankind.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget that hand sanitizer is tested in conjunction with hot water and soap - I haven't seen anything that shows it is effective on its own, despite it's widespread use over the last couple of years.
DeleteSepsis is a blood disease. Washing your hand or sanitizer will do nothing except give you clean hands. Most often spread with open wounds like operations or births and almost all originate in hospitals.
DeleteInteresting comparison and I agree! :-)
ReplyDeleteBlog way needs an up vote capability. This is one of those commentary. Was looking for the heart button. =)
ReplyDeleteC-Dif is nothing to play with. Friend lost his wife to it.
ReplyDeleteSo if you get it, TAKE ALL THE MEDS until prescription is finished. Watch for re-occurrence. She got sick again from it and they couldn't do much. Her kidneys gave out and down she went.
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