Review article

Recurrent Clostridium difficile infections: significance and treatment

Antun Beus ; Opća bolnica Varaždin, Odjel za infektivne bolesti, Varaždin, Hrvatska

Abstract

Recurrent C. difficile infections (CDI) have emerged as an increasing treatment problem. These conditions exhaust and frustrate patients, and cause additional expenses to the health care system. There are no reliable methods for the treatment and prevention of recurrent episodes of CDI. Many alternative potentially effective strategies have been explored, including tapered or pulsed dosing of vancomycin, other antibiotics, toxin-binding agents, probiotics, fecal transplantation and passive and active immunization. Unfortunately, obtained results failed to support any particular treatment strategy because there have been no randomized studies with a sufficient number of patients conducted so far. The development of new virulent strains of C.difficile and the emergence of infections in previously low-risk population highlight also the need for successful and safe treatment strategies.

Keywords

Clostridium difficile; recurrent infection; treatment

Hrčak ID:

84428

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/84428

Publication date:

30.9.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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