[Clostridium difficile infection : What is currently available for treatment?]

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, spore-forming, toxin-secreting bacillus. It is transmitted via a fecal-oral route and can be found in 1-3 % of the healthy population. Symptoms caused by C. difficile range from uncomplicated diarrhea to a toxic megacolon. The incidence, frequency of recurrence, and mortality rate of C. difficile infections (CDIs) have increased significantly over the past few decades. The most important risk factor is antibiotic treatment in elderly patients and patients with severe comorbidities. There is a screening test available to detect C. difficile-specific glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH), which is produced by both toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains. To confirm CDIs, it is necessary to test for toxins in a fresh, liquid stool sample via polymerase chain reaction or an enzyme-coupled immune adsorption test. If CDIs are diagnosed, then ongoing antibiotic treatment should be ended. Metronidazole is used to treat mild cases, and vancomycin is recommended for severe cases. Vancomycin or fidaxomicin should be used to treat recurrences (10-25 % of patients). In cases with several recurrences, a treatment option is fecal microbiome transfer (FMT). The cure rate following FMT is approximately 80 %. The treatment of severe and complicated CDI with a threatening toxic megacolon remains problematic. The degree of evidence of medicated treatment in this situation is low; the significance of metronidazole i. v. as an additional therapeutic measure is controversial. Tigecycline i. v. is an alternative option. Surgical treatment must be considered in patients with a toxic megacolon or an acute abdomen.