Clostridium difficilein Children: To Treat or Not to Treat?

Abstract

Clostridium difficile infection has been increasing since 2000 in children and in adults. Frequent antibiotics use, comorbidity, and the development of hypervirulent strains have increased the risk of infection. Despite the high carriage rates of C. difficile, infants rarely develop clinical infection. Discontinuing antibiotics and supportive management usually leads to resolution of disease. Antibiotics use should be stratified depending on the patient's age and severity of the disease.

Community-acquired Clostridium difficile infection in children: A retrospective study

“…For this reason faecal examination for C. difficile in infants should be limited to selected cases [40].…”

Gastroenteritis, Hepatitis, Encephalopathy, and Human Herpesvirus 6 Detection in an Immunocompetent Child: Benefits and Risks of Syndromic Multiplex Molecular Panel Testing

“…However, nonpathogenic organism detection may lead to incorrect assumptions of cause-and-effect, increase utilization of ineffectual and potentially harmful therapies, and impede evaluation and management of the true diagnosis. This patient's positive Clostridium difficile PCR result most likely represented colonization based on his age, 19 and lack of diarrhea with blood or mucous in stools or recent antibiotic use. Multiplex test results should be interpreted in the clinical context with consideration of the pre-test probability for each potential pathogen detected.…”

Clostridium difficile infection in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic: first isolation and review of the literature

“…Furthermore, two of the isolates were from 1-year-old children. C. difficile is known to cause asymptomatic colonization in infants under 2 years of age, so the C. difficile in these two cases may not have been responsible for causing symptoms [ 11 ].…”