Related Experiment Videos
Clostridium difficile associated with pseudomembranous colitis. Occurrence in a 12-week-old infant without prior
Insights
A 12-week-old infant developed pseudomembranous colitis and disseminated intravascular coagulopathy after dicyclomine hydrochloride use. This case highlights Clostridium difficile colonization as a potential cause in infants, a finding not previously documented.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Gastroenterology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Pseudomembranous colitis is a severe intestinal inflammation.
- Clostridium difficile infection is a known cause, typically associated with antibiotic use.
- Infantile cases are rare and often lack documented C. difficile colonization.
Observation:
- A 12-week-old infant presented with poor feeding, colic, and bloody stools.
- The infant received dicyclomine hydrochloride but no antibiotics.
- Pseudomembranous colitis and severe disseminated intravascular coagulopathy developed.
Findings:
- Clostridium difficile and its toxin were detected in the infant's stool.
- This represents the first documented case of Clostridium difficile colonization in infantile pseudomembranous colitis.
- The infant required a total colectomy for treatment.
Implications:
- Dicyclomine hydrochloride may be a risk factor for Clostridium difficile-associated colitis in infants.
- Early recognition and diagnosis of C. difficile in infants are crucial.
- This case expands the understanding of C. difficile epidemiology in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
In a previously healthy 12-week-old male infant with a two-week history of poor feeding, colic, and bloody stools, pseudomembranous colitis developed. No prior antibiotics were administered although the child had received dicyclomine hydrochloride. Clostridium difficile and its toxin were detected in the child's stool. Severe disseminated intravascular coagulopathy developed; the patient required total colectomy but eventually recovered. Clostridium difficile colonization has not, to our knowledge, been previously documented in infantile pseudomembranous colitis.