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Clostridium difficile Infection

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Abstract

Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile is an increasingly common cause of diarrheal illness ranging in presentation from simple diarrhea to toxic pseudomembranous colitis in the most severe cases. The past several years have seen the association of strains such as ribotype 027 with more severe infections. This chapter will cover the epidemiology of this disease, as well as the most current testing strategies, medical and surgical treatment, and the evolving role for fecal microbiota transplantation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Surgery – Colon and Rectal Surgery, Cincinnati, OH, USA

    Ian M. Paquette

  2. Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Department of Surgery, Springfield, IL, USA

    David B. Stewart

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  1. Ian M. Paquette
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Correspondence to Ian M. Paquette .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Scott R. Steele

  2. Department of Colorectal Surgery, Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA

    Tracy L. Hull

  3. University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA

    Neil Hyman

  4. Department of Surgery, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA

    Justin A. Maykel

  5. Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA

    Thomas E. Read

  6. Department of Colon and Rectal Surgery, Ochsner Clinic, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Charles B. Whitlow

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Paquette, I.M., Stewart, D.B. (2022). Clostridium difficile Infection. In: Steele, S.R., Hull, T.L., Hyman, N., Maykel, J.A., Read, T.E., Whitlow, C.B. (eds) The ASCRS Textbook of Colon and Rectal Surgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-66049-9_52

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