Healthcare associated diarrhea, not Clostridioides difficile

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Gastroenterology
• Clinical Medicine

Background:

• Healthcare-associated diarrhea (HCAD) presents a diagnostic challenge.
• Understanding the epidemiology and causes of HCAD is crucial for effective management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the epidemiology, causes, diagnostic evaluation, and management of HCAD.
• To highlight current epidemiology and recent advancements in diagnostic approaches for HCAD.

Main Methods:

• Literature review focusing on epidemiology, diagnostics, and management of HCAD.
• Analysis of recent studies on enteropathogen detection and clinical assessment.

Main Results:

• HCAD is primarily a noninfectious condition, frequently linked to medications or underlying medical issues.
• Clostridioides difficile infection and viral causes are noted, but other infections are uncommon.
• Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) gastrointestinal panels offer broad pathogen detection but require further assessment for HCAD utility.

Conclusions:

• Clinical evaluation is fundamental for HCAD diagnosis.
• Targeted Clostridioides difficile testing is adequate for most HCAD cases.
• Medication-induced diarrhea is common and often overlooked; multiplex panels may benefit immunocompromised individuals, pending further research.