ABSTRACT
Fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis (FCDC) means severe Clostridium difficile colitis (CDC), which often manifested with severe diarrhea, fever, abdominal distention, electrolyte disorder, hypoalbuminemia, and it can lead to pseudo membrane colonitis, toxic megacolon, bowel perforation, septic shock, and multiple organ dysfunction. Now Clostridium difficile (CD) becomes one of the most important medical institutions related infectious pathogens. In particular, the recently discovered mutant CD strain NAP1/BI/ribotype 027 has high pathogenicity in the global epidemic and its outbreak. The morbidity and mortality of FCDC has a significant upward trend in the global in recent years. All broad spectrum antimicrobials usage is considered to be the primary risk factor for the onset of FCDC. Therefore, FCDC has become a new challenge for clinical work. The epidemiology, related risk factors, pathogenesis, diagnosis, severity classification, recent progress in clinical treatment of FCDC were reviewed in order to provide help for clinical treatment of FCDC and related research.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND/AIMS: Our clinical experience and recent published literatures suggest that Clostridium difficile colitis (CDC) has become more common and potentially more pathogenic in recent years. The aim of study was to evaluate changes in the epidemiological features of CDC in hospitalized patients in Korea. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed all patients of CDC diagnosed at Kangnam St. Mary Hospital from 1998 to 2007. CDC was defined as having a positive C. difficile cytotoxicity assay, or endoscopic or pathologic evidence of CDC. RESULTS: A total of 189 cases (male 73, female 116, mean age 63.3 years) of CDC were diagnosed during the study period. The prevalence of CDC increased from 1.9/10,000 patient admissions in 1998-1999 to 8.82/10,000 patient admissions in 2006-2007. One hundred sixty three indication for cases (86.2%) of patients identified a prior use of antibiotics in the 2 months preceding diagnosis. The most common antibiotic use was prophylactic use during perioperational period (33.3%) followed by pneumonia (23.3%). The overall response rate to initial antibiotics was 82.7%. One hundred seventy two (91%) patients were initially treated with metronidazole. The response rate was 84.3%. All patients with initial failure to metronidazole were successfully treated by vancomycin. The response rate of vancomycin as first treatment was 80%. Three deaths were associated with CDC despite the use of combination of metronidazole and vancomycin. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of CDC in hospitalized patients in Korea significantly increased from 1998 to 2007.