Clostridium difficile: What the surgeon needs to know

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has become the most common nosocomial pathogen. The diarrheal illness is most typically associated with prior antibiotic use that creates a disruption of the normal colonic microbiome, allowing for proliferation of this anaerobic bacteria. Infection results in colonic inflammation as a result of toxin production. The clinical presentation ranges from mild diarrhea to systemic critical illness with organ failure. An interplay of the host immune response and the role of the microbiome likely plays a role in the pathogenesis of disease, the high rates of recurrence, and the ability to resolve infection.
Source: Seminars in Colon and Rectal Surgery - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Source Type: research