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Clostridium difficile and acute enterocolitis
E H Price1, V M Wright, J A Walker-Smith
1Department of Microbiology, Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children, London.
Archives of Disease in Childhood
|May 1, 1988
Insights
Clostridium difficile, a bacterium not typically found in infants, was identified in two infants with severe enterocolitis. This finding highlights the potential role of this pathogen in infant gut infections.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
Background:
- Severe enterocolitis in infants can have various causes.
- Understanding the role of specific pathogens is crucial for diagnosis and treatment.
Observation:
- Two infants presented with severe enterocolitis.
- Stool samples revealed Clostridium difficile, a bacterium not commonly detected in infants.
Findings:
- Clostridium difficile was the sole potential pathogen identified in the affected infants.
- The specific groups of Clostridium difficile detected were unusual for this age group.
Implications:
- This suggests Clostridium difficile may be an underrecognized cause of severe enterocolitis in infants.
- Further research into the virulence factors and detection methods for Clostridium difficile in infants is warranted.
Abstract:
Clostridium difficile belonging to groups not normally detected in infancy was the only potential pathogen detected in the stools of two infants with severe enterocolitis. Further information regarding the virulence of this organism was obtained by use of a recently introduced typing scheme.