Clostridium Difficile Flashcards
Clostridium Difficile aka?
C. difficile colitis
what is clostridium difficile?
a gram positive rod bacteria
where is clostridium difficile commonly encountered?
hospitals
effect clostridium difficile has on your body if infected by it?
makes toxins, damaging the intestine
when infected by clostridium difficile what syndrome is caused?
pseudomembranous colitis
main reason why someone would get infected by clostridium difficile in the first place?
normal gut flora gets removed, clostridium difficile then takes over
what causes normal gut flora to be removed?
broad-spectrum antibiotics
which drug is classically associated with a clostridium difficile infection?
drug group?
Clindamycin
antibiotics
lincomycin
is clindamycin bacteriostatic or bactericidal?
bacteriostatic
moa of clindamycin?
binds to 50S subunit of the ribosome, this inhibits bacterial protein synthesis
Why is it called Pseudomembranous Colitis?
Inflammatory exudate leaks, it coalesces on colon surface to make a pseudomembrane.
Risk Factors?
- 2 drug groups
broad-spectrum antibiotics
PPIs
symptoms?
-2
Diarrhoea
Abdo pain
FBC main finding?
-1
raised WBC
features on AXR?
-2
thumbprinting, bowel dilatation
why do you get diarrhoea?
Colon inflamed, so water not absorbed
why do you get Abdo pain?
Colon inflamed, toxins in colon
why do you get thumbprinting?
thickening of the haustral folds
what test is needed to diagnose a Clostridium difficile infection?
positive result on this test?
stool test
Clostridium difficile toxin in stool
1st Line drug for a C.diff infection?
metronidazole
1st Line drug for a C.diff infection?
route?
how long do you take for?
-time range
metronidazole
oral
10-14 days
2nd Line drug for a C.diff infection?
route?
vancomycin
oral
pt has Life-threatening Clostridium difficile infection/ pseudomembranous colitis.
antibiotics given?
-2
route for each?
intravenous metronidazole
oral vancomycin
Major Complication of Pseudomembranous Colitis?
-3
(ovo unusual but happens if infection really bad)
Toxic megacolon
Perforation
Sepsis
Prognosis of pseudomembranous Colitis?
recurrent infection occurs in ~20% of patients
Metronidazole group?
Metronidazole class?
antibiotic
class: nitroimidazole
Vancomycin group?
Vancomycin class?
antibiotic
class: glycopeptide
a positive stool test for the C.diff antigen only tells you what?
(what does it not tell you?)
positivity only shows exposure to the bacteria
does not tell you if there is a current infection
