Clostridium difficile

This review is a pragmatic attempt to highlight recent research and some background reading on clostridium difficile. It should not be considered exhaustive, simply a way of reviewing some of the major developments and current thinking in the area.

Click here to see all the TRIP Evidence Reviews.

Evidence-Based Reports

• Tolevamer Clostridium - difficile associated diarrhoea. National Horizon Scanning Centre, 2006
• Clostridium difficile: findings and recommendations from a review of the epidemiology and a survey of directors of infection prevention and control in England. Health Protection Agency, 2006
• Frequently asked questions about clostridium difficile. Health Protection Agency, 2007
• Proton pump inhibitors and Clostridium difficile. Bandolier Extra, 2005

Clinical Guidelines

• Clostridium difficile - Pathogen or pest? Canadian Paediatric Society, 2000
• High impact intervention No. 6: reducing the risk of infection from and the presence of clostridium difficile. Department of Health, 2006

Systematic Reviews

• The use of probiotics in the prevention and treatment of clostridium difficile diarrhea. Health Technology Assessment, 2005
• Antibiotic treatment for Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2004
• Antibiotics and hospital-acquired Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea: a systematic review. DARE, 2003

Recent articles in core journals

• Evaluation of three rapid assays for detection of Clostridium difficile toxin A and toxin B in stool specimens. European Journal of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, 2007
• Narrative review: the new epidemic of Clostridium difficile-associated enteric disease. Annals of Internal Medicine, 2006
• Use of gastric acid-suppressive agents and the risk of community-acquired Clostridium difficile-associated disease. JAMA. 2005
• Proton pump inhibitor use and risk of community-acquired Clostridium difficile-associated disease defined by prescription for oral vancomycin therapy. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 2006
• Emerging therapies in the treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated disease. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2006
• Lack of value of repeat stool testing for Clostridium difficile toxin. American Journal of Medicine, 2006
• A predominantly clonal multi-institutional outbreak of Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea with high morbidity and mortality. NEJM, 2005
• An epidemic, toxin gene-variant strain of Clostridium difficile. NEJM, 2005

eTextbooks

• eMedicine
• Ganfyd
• Merck Manual
• GP Notebook
• CDC

Patient information

• NHS Direct
• Patient UK
• Mayo Clinic