title: Clostridium difficile: progress and challenges.
abstract: There is a surge of new interest in C. difficile infection (CDI) reflecting substantial increases in cases and fatalities. The new challenges by this now old pathogen have brought renewed interest in all facets of the disease. Particularly important are the role of fluoroquinolones as inducing agents, the new polymerase chain reaction test to detect toxigenic strains in stools, the important role of the NAP-1 strain, recent evidence favoring oral vancomycin over metronidazole in seriously ill patients, and new guidelines for management.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. jb@jhmi.edu
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Bartlett
mesh_terms: D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D006801:Humans; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; C031815:toxB protein, Clostridium difficile; D008795:Metronidazole; D014640:Vancomycin