Clostridium difficile associated diarrhoea: diagnosis and treatment

摘要

The patient may also experience abdominal pain and have systemic features of malaise, fever, dehydration, and delirium. A pseudomembranous colitis is present in severe cases. In this state there is sloughing of the colonic epithelium, which is severely inflamed due to the cytotoxic action of C difficile.C difficile associated diarrhoea is classically associated with clindamycin, but it may occur after exposure to a wide range of antibiotics.Symptoms usually start during antibiotic treatment or shortly afterwards. Symptoms can be delayed by a few weeks, so it is worth asking patients whether they are currently taking, or have recently taken, antibiotics.