Evidence for antibiotic induced Clostridium perfringens diarrhoea.
Clostridium difficile is a well documented cause of antibiotic associated diarrhoea in hospitalised patients, but may account for only approximately 20% of all cases. This leader reviews the current knowledge and understanding of the pathogenesis, epidemiology, and diagnosis of non-food borne Clostridium perfringens diarrhoea. Although enterotoxigenic C perfringens has been implicated in some C difficile negative cases of antibiotic associated diarrhoea, C perfringens enterotoxin detection methods are not part of the routine laboratory investigation of such cases. Testing for C perfringens enterotoxin in faecal samples from patients with antibiotic associated diarrhoea and sporadic diarrhoea on a routine basis would have considerable resource implications. Therefore, criteria for initiating investigations and optimum laboratory tests need to be established. In addition, establishing the true burden of C perfringens antibiotic associated diarrhoea is important before optimum control and treatment measures can be defined.
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Department of Microbiology, The General Infirmary and University of Leeds, Old Medical School, Leeds, LS1 3EX, UK.
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D000372:Agglutination Tests / Q000379:methods; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000032:analysis; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting / Q000379:methods; D016521:Electrophoresis, Gel, Pulsed-Field / Q000379:methods; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012150:Polymorphism, Restriction Fragment Length; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D001427:Bacterial Toxins