Clostridium difficile infection as a cause of severe sepsis.
Although colitis is often seen in critically all patients who have received multiple broad-spectrum antibiotics, there are no reports describing severe sepsis as a result of Clostridium difficile infection. We describe three cases of severe sepsis with local intestinal Clostridium difficile infection as the only identifiable etiology. The mechanism of severe sepsis may be a derangement of the gastrointestinal barrier function. This could result in absorption of microbes or endotoxin or activation of inflammatory cascades in the submucosa of the intestine or liver.
Department of Medicine, State University of New York, USA.
S E
SE
Lowenkron
J
J
Waxner
P
P
Khullar
J S
JS
Ilowite
M S
MS
Niederman
A M
AM
Fein
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000502:physiology; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D008297:Male; D018805:Sepsis / Q000382:microbiology*