The New York Times reported on an article from the Canadian Medical Association Journal entitled Bacteria That Strike Elderly Spreads in Canadian Hospitals. This bacteria causes virulent diarrhea that has resulted in numberous deaths. The article points that the bacteria "can be deadly to already weakened people who are being treated with antibiotics for other illnesses that allows the bacteria to flourish in the intestinal tract." Dr. Ronald Hoffman on his radio show on 8/9/04 pointed out that there need not have been such a toll if these patients were given probiotics along with the antibiotics to restore the normal flora to the intestine and thus eliminating the diarrhea. My husband was the victim of this kind of neglect. After surgery he developed a serious infection and was given strong antibiotics. He developed debilitating diarrhea that lasted 4 1/2 months until he had a colonoscopy and the gastroenterologist finally recommended that he get acidophilus. I had repeatedly asked for a medical nutritionist be brought in as a consultant to two different hospitals and was turned down by his attending physicians. I will be writing to the physicians involved to bring this study and Dr. Hoffman's comments to their attention. It seems so simple but actually there is a lot of resistance to the inclusion of nutrition and complimentary medicine in the treatment of patients.

# Posted by Eve Winer on 8/14/04; 11:49:53 AM - --