title: Clostridium difficile infection at a tertiary care hospital in south India.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The objective of this study was to detect C. difficile in patients presenting with Antibiotic Associated Diarrhoea.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stool samples from twenty-five patients collected over a period of four months were processed for C. difficile by culture and the isolates were identified following standard methods. C. difficile toxins A and B and C. perfringens enterotoxin were detected by ELISA performed directly on stool specimens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four patients (16%) were found positive for C. difficile infection. All patients with C. difficile infection received prior treatment with third-generation cephalosporins or beta-lactam/beta-lactamase inhibitor antibiotics. C. perfringens enterotoxin was found in two (8%) patients. Severe colitis was seen in one (25%) of the four patients who had co-infection with C. difficile and C. perfringens.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study demonstrated a significant occurrence of C. difficile infection in this hospital population. There is a need to further evaluate the role of C. perfringens in causing antibiotic associated diarrhoea. Good clinical and laboratory studies to generate local epidemiological data are essential to increase awareness among the treating clinicians about C. difficile infection. Also limited and rational use of broad spectrum antibiotics is recommended.
authors: Shashidhar
authors: S
authors: Vishwanath
authors: Arpita
authors: A
authors: Singhal
authors: Annet
authors: A
authors: D'Souza
authors: Chiranjay
authors: C
authors: Mukhopadhyay
authors: Muralidhar
authors: M
authors: Varma
authors: Indira
authors: I
authors: Bairy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002511:Cephalosporins / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000382:microbiology; D004761:Enterocolitis, Pseudomembranous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D005243:Feces / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D002511:Cephalosporins