Bacterial Infections of the Colon

The colon is a common site of infection for a heterogeneous group of bacterial pathogens. The presentation of disease in the colon is generally in the form of distinct syndromes, and it is important for physicians to recognize the causative organisms, because specific treatment is highly effective. The flouroquinolones have emerged as the treatment of choice for most food-borne bacterial pathogens. Resistance to these agents is not a major issue at present except in Campylobacter. Clostridium difficile remains sensitive to both metronidazole and oral vancomycin. The majority of patients will respond to metronidazole, but oral vancomycin should be limited to severe cases of pseudomembranous colitis or treatment failures with metronidazole. Vancomycin is expensive and has the potential for the propagation of vancomycin resistance in other bacteria, notably enterococci. Patients appearing with proctitis should be screened for sexually transmitted diseases.