Clostridium Difficile

Question 1

Clostridium Difficile aka?

Answer 1

C. difficile colitis

Question 2

what is clostridium difficile?

Answer 2

a gram positive rod bacteria

Question 3

where is clostridium difficile commonly encountered?

Answer 3

hospitals

Question 4

effect clostridium difficile has on your body if infected by it?

Answer 4

makes toxins, damaging the intestine

Question 5

when infected by clostridium difficile what syndrome is caused?

Answer 5

pseudomembranous colitis

Question 6

main reason why someone would get infected by clostridium difficile in the first place?

Answer 6

normal gut flora gets removed, clostridium difficile then takes over

Question 7

what causes normal gut flora to be removed?

Answer 7

broad-spectrum antibiotics

Question 8

which drug is classically associated with a clostridium difficile infection?

drug group?

Answer 8

Clindamycin

antibiotics
lincomycin

Question 9

is clindamycin bacteriostatic or bactericidal?

Answer 9

bacteriostatic

Question 10

moa of clindamycin?

Answer 10

binds to 50S subunit of the ribosome, this inhibits bacterial protein synthesis

Question 11

Why is it called Pseudomembranous Colitis?

Answer 11

Inflammatory exudate leaks, it coalesces on colon surface to make a pseudomembrane.

Question 12

Risk Factors?

- 2 drug groups

Answer 12

broad-spectrum antibiotics

PPIs

Question 13

symptoms?

-2

Answer 13

Diarrhoea

Abdo pain

Question 14

FBC main finding?

-1

Answer 14

raised WBC

Question 15

features on AXR?

-2

Answer 15

thumbprinting, bowel dilatation

Question 16

why do you get diarrhoea?

Answer 16

Colon inflamed, so water not absorbed

Question 17

why do you get Abdo pain?

Answer 17

Colon inflamed, toxins in colon

Question 18

why do you get thumbprinting?

Answer 18

thickening of the haustral folds

Question 19

what test is needed to diagnose a Clostridium difficile infection?

positive result on this test?

Answer 19

stool test

Clostridium difficile toxin in stool

Question 20

1st Line drug for a C.diff infection?

Answer 20

metronidazole

Question 21

1st Line drug for a C.diff infection?

route?

how long do you take for?
-time range

Answer 21

metronidazole

oral

10-14 days

Question 22

2nd Line drug for a C.diff infection?

route?

Answer 22

vancomycin

oral

Question 23

pt has Life-threatening Clostridium difficile infection/ pseudomembranous colitis.

antibiotics given?
-2

route for each?

Answer 23

intravenous metronidazole

oral vancomycin

Question 24

Major Complication of Pseudomembranous Colitis?
-3

(ovo unusual but happens if infection really bad)

Answer 24

Toxic megacolon
Perforation
Sepsis

Question 25

Prognosis of pseudomembranous Colitis?

Answer 25

recurrent infection occurs in ~20% of patients

Question 26

Metronidazole group? Metronidazole class?

Answer 26

antibiotic class: nitroimidazole

Question 27

Vancomycin group? Vancomycin class?

Answer 27

antibiotic class: glycopeptide

Question 28

a positive stool test for the C.diff antigen only tells you what? (what does it not tell you?)

Answer 28

positivity only shows exposure to the bacteria does not tell you if there is a current infection