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Clostridium Difficile Infection

Eileen Ly, MD Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • A gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacillus that releases toxins to produce clinical disease

  • Associated with antibiotic use, recent hospitalization, residence at long-term care...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Common presenting symptoms include diarrhea and abdominal cramping or pain

  • Age and underlying comorbidities

  • Recent antibiotic (Risk of C. difficile infection may persist for 3 months af...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Antimotility agents are contraindicated

  • Avoid indiscriminate use of antibiotics

  • Proton pump inhibitors are associated with recurrent infection but have not been shown to be cau...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Do not repeat testing for toxins because patients may shed for weeks following an acute infection. 

Patient Monitoring

  • Relapses of colitis occur in 15—30%.

  • Relapses ...

REFERENCES

1
Guh AY, Kutty PK. Clostridioides difficile infection. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169(7):ITC49—ITC64.
2
Balsells E, Shi T, Leese C, et al. Global burden of Clostridium difficile infections: a syste...

CODES

ICD10

  • A04.7 Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile

  • A04.71 Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile, recurrent

  • A04.72 Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile, not specified as recurrent

  • B96....

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • C. difficile is spread by fecal-oral contact

  • Alcohol-based hand sanitizers are ineffective against C. difficile. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water

  • Testing and treatment of asympt...

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