Intravenous immunoglobulin for resistant Clostridium difficile infection.
Clostridium difficile (CD)-associated diarrhoea and colitis may relapse in up to 20% of treated patients. We present a patient who failed to respond over a 6-month period to treatment either singly or in combination with metronidazole, vancomycin, rifampicin, cholestyramine and probiotics. Her diarrhoea rapidly resolved after a 3-day course of intravenous immunoglobulin. This treatment may compensate for a failed immune response to CD toxin and should be considered for relapsing CD-associated diarrhoea where there is no response to conventional treatment strategies.
Murphy
C
C
Department of Geriatric Medicine, Wythenshawe Hospital, Manchester, UK. drclmurphy@aol.com
Vernon
M
M
Cullen
M
M
D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D024881:Drug Resistance, Bacterial; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged
D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous; D007155:Immunologic Factors