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Nosocomial diarrhea
1Infectious Disease Division, Winthrop-University Hospital, Mineola, New York, USA.
Critical Care Clinics
|April 30, 1998
Summary
Nosocomial diarrhea, often caused by Clostridium difficile (C. diff), is a significant hospital problem. Antibiotics can trigger C. diff toxin production, leading to various symptoms from mild diarrhea to severe colitis.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Hospital Epidemiology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Nosocomial diarrhea presents a significant challenge in healthcare settings, particularly in critical care units.
- Causes can be noninfectious (medications, enteral feeding) or infectious, with Clostridium difficile being the predominant pathogen.
- Clostridium difficile, a normal gut resident, causes disease when antibiotics induce toxin production.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the causes, spectrum of disease, and management of nosocomial diarrhea.
- To highlight the role of Clostridium difficile in hospital-acquired infections.
- To emphasize the importance of infection control for Clostridium difficile.
Main Methods:
- Review of literature on nosocomial diarrhea and Clostridium difficile infections.
- Discussion of pathogenic mechanisms, clinical presentations, and treatment strategies.
- Emphasis on infection control measures for Clostridium difficile.
Main Results:
- Antibiotics and chemotherapy are common triggers for Clostridium difficile toxin elaboration.
- Clostridium difficile infection spectrum ranges from asymptomatic carriage to pseudomembranous enterocolitis.
- Oral metronidazole or vancomycin are primary treatments for C. difficile diarrhea; intravenous metronidazole for colitis.
Conclusions:
- Clostridium difficile is a major cause of infectious nosocomial diarrhea.
- Effective treatment involves targeted antibiotics and stringent infection control measures.
- Preventing the spread of this resilient organism is crucial in hospital environments.