Sandbox/00030
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[UNDER CONSTRUCTION]
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C. difficile Infection Microchapters |
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Differentiating Clostridium difficile infectionfrom other Diseases |
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Diagnosis |
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Treatment |
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Case Studies |
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Sandbox/00030 On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Sandbox/00030 |
Medical Therapy
Principles of Therapy
- If a patient has a strong pre-test suspicion for CDI, empiric therapy for CDI should be considered regardless of the laboratory testing result.
- Clostridium difficile infection should be suspected in any patient with diarrhea who has received antibiotics within the previous 2 months and/or whose diarrhea began 72 hours or more after hospitalization.[1]
Classification of Disease Severity
| Severity | Definition |
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| Mild | CDI with diarrhea as the only symptom. |
| Moderate | CDI with diarrhea but without additional symptoms/signs meeting the definition of severe or complicated CDI. |
| Severe | CDI that presents with or develops during the course of the disease with hypoalbuminemia (serum albumin < 3 g/dl) and either of the following:
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| Complicated | CDI that presents with or develops at least one of the following signs or symptoms:
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References
- ↑ Fekety R (1997) Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea and colitis. American College of Gastroenterology, Practice Parameters Committee. Am J Gastroenterol 92 (5):739-50. PMID: [1]