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Pseudomembranous colitis in cystic fibrosis

Prasad Nagakumar1

  • 1Department of Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital for Wales, Cardiff, Wales. rajjuprasad@gmail.com

Paediatric Respiratory Reviews
|April 23, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients rarely develop C. difficile colitis, even with high C. difficile carriage rates. Pseudomembranous colitis is more common in adult CF patients post-lung transplant.

Area of Science:

  • Medical Microbiology
  • Pulmonology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients frequently require antibiotics and hospitalizations, increasing potential Clostridioides difficile exposure.
  • High colonization rates of C. difficile are observed in children with CF, yet symptomatic colitis is uncommon.

Observation:

  • Despite high C. difficile carriage rates in pediatric CF populations, the incidence of C. difficile-associated colitis is notably low.
  • Pseudomembranous colitis, a severe form of C. difficile infection, is more frequently diagnosed in adult CF patients following lung transplantation.

Findings:

  • The study highlights a discrepancy between C. difficile carriage and clinical manifestation of colitis in CF patients.
  • Pseudomembranous colitis, though rare, presents a significant risk, particularly in specific CF subpopulations.

Implications:

  • Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for pseudomembranous colitis in CF patients with abdominal symptoms, irrespective of diarrhea presence.
  • This underscores the need for tailored diagnostic and management strategies for C. difficile infections in cystic fibrosis care pathways.

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