In today’s world in which medicine relies on high-end equipment, dog’s nose is still one of the most high-end devices out there.
According to a recent study published in the British Medical Journal, our canine friends are able to detect serious infections in hospitals around the globe.
Sniff, Sniff
The refined sense of smell in dogs turned out to be rather accurate when it comes to identifying C-diff infections in stool samples.
Plus, the dogs could also recognize the “polluted” air surrounding the the infected patients in the hospital environment. Go Fido!
These findings come after earlier studies which have shown that dogs are also capable of detecting various types of cancer. The scientists say that this method may have potential for screening hospital wards to help prevent C-diff outbreaks in the future.
Clostridium Difficile
The aforementioned C-diff infection most commonly occurs in older patients who have recently finished a course of antibiotics, and they usually happen in hospitals. However, the infections can also break out in community centers like nursing homes, or other skilled facilities.
The symptoms of C-diff infection can be anything from mild diarrhea to much more serious bowel inflammation.