title: Novel management strategies in the treatment of severe Clostridium difficile infection.
abstract: CDI is increasing in incidence and severity. Clinicians must have a low threshold to consider the diagnosis and to treat patients with the clinical syndrome and risk factors before laboratory confirmation of the diagnosis. In patients who have signs of advanced disease, escalation of care with antimicrobial strategies and multidisciplinary care including surgical consultation is necessary. Furthermore, lowering the threshold for surgery compared with traditional approaches likely results in improved survival. Novel surgical approaches may obviate total abdominal colectomy and the associated immediate and long-term morbidity in this often fragile patient population, thus allowing clinicians to embrace surgical therapy earlier in the course of severe, complicated disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, 200 Lothrop Street, F1200 PUH, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: Ibrahim
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Nassour
authors.forename: Evie H
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Carchman
authors.forename: Richard L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: Brian S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Zuckerbraun
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003082:Colectomy; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007081:Ileostomy; D007114:Immunization; D008795:Metronidazole / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D012008:Recurrence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014640:Vancomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D008795:Metronidazole; D014640:Vancomycin