Dop D, Marcu IR, Padureanu V, Caragea DC, Padureanu R, Niculescu SA, Niculescu CE. Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients (Review).
Biomed Rep 2024;
20:18. [PMID:
38169799 PMCID:
PMC10758920 DOI:
10.3892/br.2023.1706]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection (CDI) is the most common cause of healthcare-associated diarrhea and among adults, the worldwide incidence rate of the infection is increasing. There is a small amount of data in the literature for pediatric patients, but most indicate an increasing trend. C. difficile is a constituent of the normal microbiota; however, under specific conditions that cause a disruption of the normal bacterial flora, colonization of C. difficile and the released toxins that cause inflammation and mucosal damage occurs. Risk factors for CDI at any age include hospitalization, exposure to antibiotics, administration of proton pump inhibitors, invasive mechanical ventilation, immunosuppression and presence of associated comorbidities. Clinical manifestations range from asymptomatic colonization to fulminant disease characterized by toxic megacolon, intestinal perforation and, rarely, death. The aim of the present review was to outline the features of CDI in pediatric patients.
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