Pseudomembranous colitis

- acute exudative infection of colon caused by Clostridium difficile
- Clostridium difficile produce 2 types of toxin: type A is enterotoxin, type B is cytotoxic
- risk factor: antibiotic treatment (including clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephalosporin)
- Greatest risk = ciprofloxacin
- symptoms varies from mild self limiting diarrhea to acute fulminating toxic megacolon
- tissue culture, ELISA and PCR help detect C.difficile toxin (CDT)
- treatment: stop the antibiotic, metronidazole or oral vancomycin