Presentation
Free abdominal air will be present in cases of bowel perforation. Abdominal computed tomography (CT) shows pronounced thickening of colonic wall in pseudomembranous colitis. [clinicaladvisor.com]
Occasionally, patients with CDI present with unexplained leukocytosis and little evidence of gastrointestinal symptoms. Patients with severe disease may also present with an ileus rather than diarrhea. [oncologynurseadvisor.com]
Clostridium difficile (C. difficile or C. diff) is a bacterium that is normally present in the body in small numbers. [gikids.org]
C. difficile is naturally present in the gut, or intestinal tract. It is most often present in younger people and levels drop as people age. It is present in 66 percent of infants and 3 percent of adults. [medicalnewstoday.com]
Entire Body System
- Gangrene
Gas gangrene Can be caused by various clostridia - eg, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium septicum, Clostridium novyi and Clostridium histolyticum. See separate Gas Gangrene article. Tetanus Caused by Clostridium tetani. [patient.info]
Infections Selected Conditions Associated With Clostridial Infections Condition Agent Toxin Soft-tissue infection Crepitant cellulitis, myositis, clostridial myonecrosis, hemolysis C. perfringens, others Alpha-toxin (phospholipase C), theta-toxin, others Gas gangrene [merckmanuals.com]
Like its cousins, the Clostridia that cause tetanus, botulism, and gas gangrene, C. diff passes through a life cycle in which the actively dividing form transforms itself into the spore stage. [health.harvard.edu]
Gastrointestinal
- Abdominal Rigidity
Toxic megacolon is a clinical diagnosis based on severe systemic toxicity and radiological findings (see below) while bowel perforation presents as acute abdomen with abdominal rigidity and septic shock. B. [clinicaladvisor.com]
Workup
Donors Of 37 candidates who responded to our call for volunteers, 12 passed the initial screening and underwent a full donor workup. [academic.oup.com]
Treatment
Treatment depends on severity of the colitis. If your child has mild diarrhea caused by C. difficile, stopping any other antibiotic treatments may be sufficient therapy. [gikids.org]
Another study comparing treatment of CDI with vancomycin or metronidazole in patients risk-stratified by infection severity showed significantly less treatment-refractory disease after treatment with vancomycin in severe cases of CDI (32% refractory disease [f1000research.com]
Options, agents, recommendations and algorithms for the treatment of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection. [gov.uk]
You may need another course of treatment. [bupa.co.uk]
Prognosis
BACKGROUND: Clostridium difficile associated colitis is a frequent cause of nosocomial diarrhea at the intensive care unit (ICU) and is associated with poor prognosis in critically ill patients. [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Prognosis : guarded to poor. Pathogenesis Etiology Naturally occuring bacteria Clostridium perfringens Clostridium perfringens type A has been identified as a cause of acute colitis in adult horses. [vetstream.com]
Outlook (Prognosis) Muscle spasms will get better with rest and time. The outlook is excellent for most people. Learning how to exercise properly with the right training and enough fluid intake can prevent spasms from occurring regularly. [pennstatehershey.adam.com]
Patient prognosis is clearly related to the age and underlying illnesses of the patient. [oncologynurseadvisor.com]
What is the outlook (prognosis)? Most people with C. difficile infection recover, some even without any treatment. However, the diarrhoea can be unpleasant and, in some cases, can last for several weeks. [patient.info]
Etiology
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 [idph.iowa.gov]
The differential diagnosis should include non-infectious etiologies like postinfectious irritable bowel syndrome and osmotic diarrhea, though the latter usually resolves with fasting. [clinicaladvisor.com]
Pathogenesis Etiology Naturally occuring bacteria Clostridium perfringens Clostridium perfringens type A has been identified as a cause of acute colitis in adult horses. [vetstream.com]
Alternative etiologies should be sought even in those with a positive test result for C difficile. Testing in the second and third year of life is difficult to interpret; alternative etiologies should be sought. [pediatrics.aappublications.org]
From: cid.oxfordjournals.org [2] Etiology/Bacteriology Taxonomy | Domain = Bacteria | Phylum = Firmicutes | Class = Clostridia | Order = Clostridiales | Family = Clostridiaceae | Genus = Clostridium | species = Clostridium sordellii Description Clostridium [microbewiki.kenyon.edu]
Epidemiology
Wu: Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 423 Guardian Drive, 509 Blockley Hall, Philadelphia, PA 19104. Dr. [annals.org]
George's Hospital, London, UK. 3 National Reference Laboratory for Clostridium difficile, Paris, France. 4 Departments of Clinical Epidemiology and Internal Medicine, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands; Department of Clinical Epidemiology [ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
Guidance for Management in Acute Care Settings (2013 update) Clostridium difficile : Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Management in Long-term Care Facilities (2013) Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) / Society for Healthcare Epidemiology [ecdc.europa.eu]
This article reviews the pathogenesis, epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this nosocomial and potentially fatal infectious diarrhea, as well as the associated risk factors. [nejm.org]
Pathophysiology
Foals Pathophysiology Pathogenicity depends on production of enterotoxins. Clostridial infection of the small and large intestines → severe damage to the bowel walls. [vetstream.com]
Physiology and pathophysiology of musculoskeletal tissues. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR. eds. DeLee, Drez, and Miller's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 1. Updated by: Linda J. [medlineplus.gov]
Physiology and pathophysiology of musculoskeletal tissues. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR. eds. DeLee, Drez, and Miller's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 1. Review Date: 5/13/2019 Reviewed By: Linda J. [pennstatehershey.adam.com]
From References Medically reviewed by Robert Cox, MD; American Board of Internal Medicine with subspecialty in Infectious Disease REFERENCE: "Clostridium difficile in adults: Epidemiology, microbiology, and pathophysiology" uptodate.com [medicinenet.com]
Prevention
CDI can be prevented by: Only take antibiotics as needed and as prescribed by your health care provider. [idph.iowa.gov]
Early detection of new emerging hypervirulent strains is essential to control and prevent the spread of such clones. [hps.scot.nhs.uk]
Prevention includes responsible antibiotic prescribing and vigilant handwashing. Probiotics prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhea, but are not recommended specifically for preventing C. difficile infection. [aafp.org]
Prevent infections caused by bacteria. This will help prevent your need for an antibiotic. Ask about vaccines that you need. Wash your hands frequently to prevent the spread of infection. [drugs.com]