Presentation
Relapse and recurrent infections are not uncommon and are present in more than 20% of individuals who have C. diff infection. [emedicinehealth.com]
The present study evaluated the in vitro bactericidal effect of cadazolid and comparator antibiotics against four C. difficile strains. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Entire Body System
- Fever
In some people, a toxin produced by C. difficile causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, severe inflammation of the colon (colitis), fever, an elevated white blood cell count, vomiting, and dehydration. [emedicinehealth.com]
If you or someone you know develops mild to moderate watery diarrhea, cramping abdominal pain, anorexia, fatigue and fever, especially after taking antibiotics, seek medical care. [medicinenet.com]
- Pain
In some people, a toxin produced by C. difficile causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, severe inflammation of the colon (colitis), fever, an elevated white blood cell count, vomiting, and dehydration. [emedicinehealth.com]
Symptoms of C. diff infection can be mild such as watery diarrhea three or more times a day with mild abdominal pain or tenderness or maybe more severe with diarrheal episodes reaching 15 times a day with severe abdominal pain, blood or pus in the stool [medicinenet.com]
The symptoms of CDI include liquid diarrhea, dehydration, fever, appetite loss, and abdominal pain or tenderness, which are often severe, causing major distress and pain. In very serious cases, C. diff infection can even result in death. [badgut.org]
- Weakness
Clostridium difficile Diagnostics Saturday, October 7, 2017: 8:30 AM-10:00 AM Room: 11AB Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able to: list the strengths and weakness of PCR diagnostics for Clostridium difficile [idsa.confex.com]
The resulting illness can be serious, even life-threatening, especially if you have a weak immune system. Even if they are not taking antibiotics, people with a weak immune system often have an overabundance of C. difficile bacteria. [urmc.rochester.edu]
[…] for the primary episode (weak recommendation, low quality of evidence). [idsociety.org]
People with weak immune systems or a previous history of C. diff infection are also at higher risk. C. diff is a major source of healthcare-related infections, which spread mainly through the fecal-oral route. [news-medical.net]
It is also a good idea to wash your hands before and after you visit a hospital, nursing home, or other place where people may be ill or weak. Use soap and water. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not work well against C. difficile. [uofmhealth.org]
- Malaise
Patients with CDAD usually present with malaise, abdominal cramps or pain, nausea, vomiting, liquid diarrhoea, fever and leukocytosis. [clinicalmicrobiologyandinfection.com]
The symptoms are including abdominal pain, nausea, malaise, anorexia, watery diarrhea, and possible presence of trace blood in the stool. In addition, low grade fever, dehydration, pyrexia, and leukocytosis may occur. [hindawi.com]
Also, systemic symptoms such as fever, nausea, anorexia, and malaise are usually present.22 A minority of patients have disease primarily in the cecum and right colon, presenting with marked leukocytosis and abdominal pain but little or no diarrhea. [jamanetwork.com]
Signs and symptoms Symptoms of C difficile colitis often include the following: Mild to moderate watery diarrhea that is rarely bloody Cramping abdominal pain Anorexia Malaise Physical examination may reveal the following in patients with the disorder [emedicine.com]
- Multiple Organ Dysfunction Syndrome
Probiotics offer promise to ICU patients for the prevention of antibiotic‐associated diarrhea, Clostridium difficile infections, multiple organ dysfunction syndrome, and ventilator‐associated pneumonia. [dx.doi.org]
Gastrointestinal
- Diarrhea
Your physician should be notified in order to properly evaluate the diarrhea. [emedicinehealth.com]
C. difficile–induced diarrhea occurs in up to 8% of hospitalized patients and is responsible for 20 to 30% of cases of hospital-acquired diarrhea. [msdmanuals.com]
Antibiotics can sometimes cause diarrhea that is not due to C. difficile infection. The reason for the diarrhea is not clear. [medicinenet.com]
- Nausea
The most common adverse reactions associated with BEZ are nausea, pyrexia, and headache. CONCLUSION: BEZ has been proven safe and effective in preventing CDI recurrence. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Symptoms include Watery diarrhea (at least three bowel movements per day for two or more days) Fever Loss of appetite Nausea Abdominal pain or tenderness C. difficile is more common in people who need to take antibiotics for a long period of time.The [nlm.nih.gov]
[…] use of antibiotics Older age (persons > 65 years have a higher infection rate) Hospital admission or residence in a long-term care facility Use of certain antacid medications The main symptom of Clostridium difficile infection is diarrhea, but fever, nausea [aast.org]
- Abdominal Pain
In some people, a toxin produced by C. difficile causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, severe inflammation of the colon (colitis), fever, an elevated white blood cell count, vomiting, and dehydration. [emedicinehealth.com]
Symptoms of C. diff infection can be mild such as watery diarrhea three or more times a day with mild abdominal pain or tenderness or maybe more severe with diarrheal episodes reaching 15 times a day with severe abdominal pain, blood or pus in the stool [medicinenet.com]
- Abdominal Cramps
Resolution of diarrhoea and abdominal cramping was noted on 6-week follow-up visit. 2014 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Patients with mild C. difficile colitis may have: a low-grade fever, mild diarrhea (5-10 watery stools a day), mild abdominal cramps and tenderness. [medicinenet.com]
Symptoms for mild to moderate cases are: Mild abdominal cramping and tenderness Watery diarrhea several time s a day and lasting two or more days Symptoms for severe cases in the colon causing it to become inflames (colitis) are: Fever Abdominal cramping [mrsasurvivors.org]
- Vomiting
Clinical presentation is varied; some patients are asymptomatic, in symptomatic form the main symptom is diarrhea of varying severity, which is sometimes accompanied by acute abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and high fever. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Enter your keywords Infection: management of outbreaks, including diarrhoea and vomiting This guideline provides guidance on outbreaks of communicable infection at Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH). [gosh.nhs.uk]
In some people, a toxin produced by C. difficile causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, severe inflammation of the colon (colitis), fever, an elevated white blood cell count, vomiting, and dehydration. [emedicinehealth.com]
Workup
Laboratory workup revealed high white blood cell (WBC), serum creatinine (Scr), and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Based on these abnormal lab results, rapid detection of glutamate dehydrogenase and toxin A and B was performed. Severe CDI. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
(See Presentation and Workup .) [emedicine.com]
[…] complete blood count, urine pregnancy test followed with quantitative blood beta-hCG Imaging: transvaginal ultrasound If patient is unstable: IV fluid resuscitation, urgent obstetrics and gynecology consultation If patient is stable: continue diagnostic workup [en.wikipedia.org]
Microbiology
- Gram-Positive Rods
Clostridium difficile MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET - INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCES SECTION I - INFECTIOUS AGENT NAME: Clostridium difficile SYNONYM OR CROSS REFERENCE: N/A CHARACTERISTICS: Gram positive rod, anaerobic, motile, subterminal spores, produces a cytotoxin [msdsonline.com]
It is an anaerobic, spore-forming, Gram-positive rod. [www2.health.vic.gov.au]
Clostridium difficile ( C. difficile or C. diff .) is an anaerobic, gram positive, rod-shaped bacteria that have the capacity to form spores that are resistant to heat and most disinfectants, which makes it difficult to eliminate them from the environment [quidel.com]
Review Questions Figure Pathology, Blood agar, Cycloserine mannitol plate culture, Clostridium difficile; 48 hours, Anaerobic gram-positive rod, Antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAC). Contributed by Dr. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
C. difficile is gram-positive rod, spore forming, strict anaerobic bacillus and is part of the normal intestinal microbiota in 1–3% of healthy adults and 15–20% of infants. [hindawi.com]
Colonoscopy
- Colitis
The clinical spectrum of C. difficile infection (CDI) ranges from mild diarrhoea to severe life threatening pseudomembranous colitis. CDI is generally, but not always associated with previous use of antibiotics. [ecdc.europa.eu]
Treatment
Intravenous Immunoglobulin (IVIG) with C. diff antitoxin has been used in the treatment of recurrent infections, but the results are not better than the standard treatment. [emedicinehealth.com]
Prevention and Management The most commonly used treatments for C. diff are antibiotics. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, there are still limitations with these standard treatments. [badgut.org]
Up to 10% of patients do not respond to a course of one of the antibiotics and require retreatment, more prolonged treatment or treatment with a different antibiotic. [medicinenet.com]
Prognosis
Leukemoid reaction is rarely seen with CDI, and indicates severe disease with grave prognosis. We present an elderly female who developed leukemoid reaction in response to CDI. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Overview Symptoms and Causes Diagnosis and Tests Management and Treatment Prevention Outlook / Prognosis C. diff (Clostridioides difficile) Infection Overview Symptoms and Causes Diagnosis and Tests Management and Treatment Prevention Outlook / Prognosis [my.clevelandclinic.org]
[…] ascites) is seen in up to 40% of cases 8 although typically the whole colon is involved, the right colon and transverse colon may be affected in isolation in up to 5% of cases 2 rectal involvement in the vast majority of cases (90-95%) 2 Treatment and prognosis [radiopaedia.org]
Etiology
Clostridium difficile is the major etiological agent of pseudomembranous colitis and is found in up to 20% of adult inpatients. The recommended treatment is antibiotic therapy with metronidazole and/or vancomycin. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
CDI is defined as a case of diarrhea or toxic megacolon without other known etiology that meets 1 or more of the following criteria: the stool sample yields a positive result of a laboratory assay for C. difficile toxin A and/or B, or a toxin-producing [hhs.iowa.gov]
Epidemiology
This is the first report on molecular epidemiological analyses for CDI in multiple university hospitals in Japan, to our knowledge. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Top left: 48 pairs not from ST1 and with an epidemiological link based on shared time and space on a ward. Bottom left: 118 pairs not from ST1 and without an epidemiological link. Top right: 310 pairs from ST1 and with an epidemiological link. [doi.org]
Clinical Practice Guidelines for Clostridium difficile Infection in Adults: 2010 Update by the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA). Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology. [labtestsonline.org]
COMBACTE-CDI: Understanding of the epidemiology and clinical impact of Clostridium difficile infection COMBACTE-CDI’s primary goal is to develop a detailed understanding of the epidemiology and clinical impact of Clostridium difficile infection across [combacte.com]
Pathophysiology
Although the exact cause of this patient's neuropathy cannot be confirmed, it has been speculated that the pathophysiology is an immune-mediated process. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Prevention Clostridioides difficile infection Summary Epidemiology Etiology Pathophysiology Clinical features Diagnostics History Stool tests Blood tests Imaging Endoscopy Disease severity Treatment General measures Medical therapy Medical therapy in [amboss.com]
Pathophysiology of CDI in Cancer Patients The diverse clinical manifestations of CDI range from asymptomatic colonization to fulminant colitis. [omicsonline.org]
Prevention
In severe cases, oral intake is stopped in order to give rest to the colon and prevent further stimulation of the bowel. [emedicinehealth.com]
CDI can be prevented by: Only take antibiotics as needed and as prescribed by your health care provider. [hhs.iowa.gov]
KEYWORDS: Clostridium difficile; Lactobacilli probiotics; Prevention [Indexed for MEDLINE] Free full text [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
In addition to these prevention strategies, a variety of new treatment and prevention strategies are being researched, from new antibiotics, to fecal bacteriotherapy (“stool transplant” in which bacteria from one person’s intestines are given to another [aast.org]