title: Prevalence of clostridium difficile among paediatric patients in a tertiary care hospital, coastal karnataka, South India.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The study was intended to analyse the burden of Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) and associated intestinal pathogens from children with diarrhoea who were hospitalized in a tertiary care teaching hospital of South India.
  
  
  METHODS
  Stool samples from 138 children with diarrhoea belonging to the age group 0-14 years were analysed by semi quantitative culture, latex agglutination and enzyme immunoassay for C. difficile. The associated intestinal pathogens were also detected from the specimens by standard procedures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Stool samples of 138 children were tested during the period; 21 (15.22%) samples were culture positive for C. difficile and the isolates were confirmed by biochemical reactions. 9(6.52%) were positive by latex agglutination. EIA for C. difficile toxins A and B was done on all the stool specimens and 15 were found to be positive (10.87 %). According to the reference standard method employed in our study, 4 toxigenic C. difficile isolates (2.90%) were obtained from 138 specimens. Among the other intestinal pathogens, Escherichia coli predominated (22.46%). Rota virus was detected in 7.27% stool samples of children under the age of five years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study shows the prevalence of C. difficile in hospitalized children in our locality which highlights the importance of judicious use of antibiotics and strict infection control measures.
authors: Research Scholar, Department of Microbiology, Father Muller Medical College , Mangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors: Sherin
authors: S
authors: Justin
authors: Professor, Department of Microbiology, Father Muller Medical College , Mangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors: Beena
authors: B
authors: Antony
authors: Professor, Department of Paediatrics, Father Muller Medical College , Mangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors: K Varadaraj
authors: KV
authors: Shenoy
authors: Professor and Head, Department of Microbiology, Father Muller Medical College , Mangalore, Karnataka, India .
authors: Rekha
authors: R
authors: Boloor
keywords: Antibiotic associated diarrhoea; Clostridium difficile; cycloserine cefoxitin fructose agar; semi quantitative culture