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Aug 8, 2023 · Pseudomembranous colitis, a severe inflammation of the inner lining of the large intestine, manifests as an antibiotic-associated colonic inflammatory complication. The disease most commonly results from a serious Clostridium difficile infection, an increasing nosocomial issue over the last two decades. This activity reviews the cause ...
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•Overview
•Symptoms
•When to see a doctor
•Causes
•Risk factors
•Complications
Symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis may include:
•Watery diarrhea.
•Stomach cramps, pain or tenderness.
•Fever.
•Pus or mucus in the stool.
•Nausea.
If you are currently taking or have recently taken antibiotics and you develop diarrhea, contact your health care provider, even if the diarrhea is relatively mild. Also, see your provider anytime you have severe diarrhea, with a fever, painful stomach cramps, or blood or pus in your stool.
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Your body usually keeps the many bacteria in your colon in a naturally healthy balance. However, antibiotics and other medicines can upset this balance. Pseudomembranous colitis occurs when certain bacteria, usually C. difficile, rapidly outgrow other bacteria that typically keep them in check. Certain toxins produced by C. difficile can rise to levels high enough to damage the colon.
While almost any antibiotic can cause pseudomembranous colitis, some antibiotics are more commonly linked to pseudomembranous colitis than others, including:
•Fluoroquinolones, such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and levofloxacin.
•Penicillins, such as amoxicillin and ampicillin.
•Clindamycin (Cleocin).
•Cephalosporins, such as cefixime (Suprax).
Factors that may increase your risk of pseudomembranous colitis include:
•Taking antibiotics.
•Staying in the hospital or a nursing home.
•Increasing age, especially over 65 years.
•Having a weakened immune system.
•Having a colon disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer.
Treatment of pseudomembranous colitis is usually successful. However, even with prompt diagnosis and treatment, pseudomembranous colitis can be life-threatening. Possible complications include:
•Dehydration. Severe diarrhea can lead to a significant loss of fluids and electrolytes. This makes it difficult for your body to function and can cause blood pressure to drop to dangerously low levels.
•Kidney failure. In some cases, dehydration can occur so quickly that kidney function rapidly deteriorates, causing kidney failure.
•Toxic megacolon. In this rare condition, your colon is unable to get rid of gas and stool, causing it to become greatly distended. Left untreated, your colon may rupture, causing bacteria from the colon to enter your abdominal cavity. An enlarged or ruptured colon requires emergency surgery and may be fatal.
•A hole in your large intestine, called bowel perforation. This is rare and results from extensive damage to the lining of your large intestine or after toxic megacolon. A perforated bowel can spill bacteria from the intestine into your abdominal cavity, leading to a life-threatening infection called peritonitis.
•Death. Even mild to moderate C. difficile infections can quickly progress to fatal disease if not treated quickly.
To help prevent the spread of C. difficile, hospitals and other health care facilities follow strict infection-control guidelines. If you have a friend or family member in a hospital or nursing home, don't be afraid to remind caregivers to follow the recommended precautions.
Preventive measures include:
•Handwashing. Health care workers should practice good hand hygiene before and after treating each person in their care. In the event of a C. difficile outbreak, using soap and warm water is a better choice for hand hygiene, because alcohol-based hand sanitizers do not effectively destroy C. difficile spores. Visitors to hospitals or nursing homes also should wash their hands with soap and warm water before and after leaving the room or using the bathroom.
•Contact precautions. People who are hospitalized with C. difficile have a private room or share a room with someone who has the same illness. Hospital staff and visitors wear disposable gloves and isolation gowns while in the room until at least 48 hours after diarrhea ends.
•Thorough cleaning. In any setting, all surfaces should be carefully disinfected with a product that contains chlorine bleach to destroy C. difficile spores.
•Use antibiotics only when necessary. Antibiotics are sometimes prescribed for viral illnesses that aren't helped by these drugs. Take a wait-and-see attitude with simple ailments. If you do need an antibiotic, ask your health care provider to prescribe one that has a narrow range and that you take for the shortest time possible.
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What is pseudomembranous colitis?
Aug 29, 2023 · Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) is a severe form of colitis. In this condition, something attacks and injures your colon lining ( mucosa ). It might be bacteria, toxins or another illness. Your colon mucosa develops thickened, scab-like plaques over the wounds. Your healthcare provider might call these “pseudomembranes.”.
Dec 14, 2022 · Treating recurring pseudomembranous colitis. The natural occurrence of new, more aggressive strains of C. difficile has made treating pseudomembranous colitis increasingly difficult and recurrences more common. With each recurrence, your chance of having an additional recurrence increases. Treatment options may include: Repeat antibiotics.
Feb 20, 2024 · What Is Pseudomembranous Colitis? Medically Reviewed by Minesh Khatri, MD on February 20, 2024. Written by Rachel Reiff Ellis. ... Clindamycin ; Fluoroquinolones (Cipro, Levaquin)
Feb 1, 2020 · C. difficile infection is characterized by a wide range of symptoms, from mild or moderate diarrhea to severe disease with pseudomembranous colitis, colonic ileus, toxic megacolon, sepsis, or death.
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