Clostridium difficile Infection in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease
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Published on: December 8, 2014
Suchitra K Hourigan1, Cynthia L Sears, Maria Oliva-Hemker
1*Department of Pediatrics, Inova Children's Hospital, Fairfax, Virginia; †Departments of Pediatrics and Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland; ‡Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Pediatric Specialists of Virginia, Fairfax, Virginia; and §Inova Translational Medicine Institute.
Insights
Pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients face higher risks of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Distinguishing between CDI and asymptomatic colonization in these children presents diagnostic challenges.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
Background:
- Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) show increased susceptibility to Clostridium difficile infection (CDI).
- Asymptomatic C. difficile colonization is increasingly recognized in pediatric IBD, complicating diagnosis.
- CDI incidence is rising in this vulnerable pediatric population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on C. difficile infection in pediatric IBD.
- To discuss epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes specific to this population.
- To explore diagnostic and therapeutic complexities of CDI in pediatric IBD.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes.
- Analysis of diagnostic challenges in differentiating CDI from colonization.
- Discussion of treatment dilemmas in pediatric IBD patients with CDI.
Main Results:
- Pediatric IBD patients have distinct risk factors and outcomes for CDI compared to adults.
- Distinguishing symptomatic CDI from asymptomatic colonization is a significant clinical challenge.
- Current knowledge on CDI in pediatric IBD requires further investigation.
Conclusions:
- Children with IBD represent a high-risk group for CDI with unique epidemiological features.
- Accurate diagnosis of CDI in pediatric IBD is complex due to overlapping symptoms with colonization.
- Further research is needed to optimize the management of CDI in pediatric IBD.
Abstract:
Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are disproportionately susceptible to Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) and the incidence is increasing. There has also been growing recognition of asymptomatic C. difficile colonization in pediatric IBD, which can sometimes be very difficult to distinguish from symptomatic C. difficile-associated disease in this population. In this study, we discuss the current knowledge of C. difficile infection in children with IBD, reviewing epidemiology, risk factors, and outcomes that often differ from the adult IBD population, and discuss the complexities and dilemmas of diagnosing and treating CDI in pediatric IBD.
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