Clostridium difficile is an important cause of healthcare associated infection and is the organism most often linked to antibiotics-associated diarrhoea. C. difficile spores may be found as normal intestinal flora in up to 50% of children under the age of two years.
Mild cases of C. difficile are characterised by frequent, foul smelling, watery stools. More severe symptoms, indicative of pseudomembranous colitis, include blood and mucous in the diarrhoea stools and abdominal cramping. Abnormal heart rhythms may also occur.
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| Download: | Clostridium difficile fact sheet (September 2010) (PDF File - 53k) |
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