Clostridium difficile

The current impact of Clostridium difficile will have been noticed by many clinicians, particularly those managing elderly patients. Infection with this bacterium can give rise to a wide range of symptoms, from diarrhoea to fulminating colitis and toxic megacolon. Patients may also be asymptomatically colonized by C. difficile. In this article the epidemiology and aetiology of C.difficile infection will be discussed, followed by an explanation of how diagnosis of cases is best achieved, how the disease is optimally treated and how cross-infection can be minimized.