"Diversion" colitis caused by Clostridium difficile infection: report of a case

2019 update of the WSES guidelines for management of Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile infection in surgical patients

In the last three decades, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has increased in incidence and severity in many countries worldwide. The increase in CDI incidence has been particularly apparent among surgical patients. Therefore, prevention of CDI and optimization of management in the surgical patient are paramount. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts from the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) updated its guidelines for management of CDI in surgical patients according to the most recent available literature. The update includes recent changes introduced in the management of this infection.

Diversion colitis and pouchitis: A mini-review

Diversion colitis is characterized by inflammation of the mucosa in the defunctioned segment of the colon after colostomy or ileostomy. Similar to diversion colitis, diversion pouchitis is an inflammatory disorder occurring in the ileal pouch, resulting from the exclusion of the fecal stream and a subsequent lack of nutrients from luminal bacteria. Although the vast majority of patients with surgically-diverted gastrointestinal tracts remain asymptomatic, it has been reported that diversion colitis and pouchitis might occur in almost all patients with diversion. Surgical closure of the stoma, with reestablishment of gut continuity, is the only curative intervention available for patients with diversion disease. Pharmacologic treatments using short-chain fatty acids, mesalamine, or corticosteroids are reportedly effective for those who are not candidates for surgical reestablishment; however, there are no established assessment criteria for determining the severity of diversion colitis, and no management strategies to date. Therefore, in this mini-review, we summarize and review various recently-reported treatments for diversion disease. We are hopeful that the information summarized here will assist physicians who treat patients with diversion colitis and pouchitis, leading to better case management.

Clostridium difficile infection in inflammatory bowel disease: challenges in diagnosis and treatment

The problem of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has reached epidemic proportions, particularly in industrialized nations. The pathophysiology, disease course and the potential complications are well appreciated in the general hospitalized patient. However, when CDI occurs in the setting of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a number of distinct differences in the diagnosis and clinical management of the infection in this population should be appreciated by gastroenterologists, hospitalists and other care providers. This review highlights the unique aspects of CDI when it occurs in IBD patients with an emphasis on the challenge of distinguishing persistent infection from exacerbation of underlying chronic colitis. An understanding of how CDI may differ in presentation and how management should be altered can prevent serious and life-threatening complications.

WSES guidelines for management of Clostridium difficile infection in surgical patients

In the last two decades there have been dramatic changes in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), with increases in incidence and severity of disease in many countries worldwide. The incidence of CDI has also increased in surgical patients. Optimization of management of C difficile, has therefore become increasingly urgent. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts prepared evidenced-based World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) guidelines for management of CDI in surgical patients.

Impact of Clostridium difficile colitis following closure of a diverting loop ileostomy: results of a matched cohort study

AIM

Previous reports describing Clostridium difficile colitis (CDC) developing after the closure of a loop ileostomy suggest it is severe. In this study the incidence of CDC following ileostomy closure and its effect on the postoperative outcome have been studied.

METHOD

Patients undergoing closure of loop ileostomy from 2004 to 2008 were analysed using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Patients who developed postoperative CDC (n = 217) were matched 10:1 to a propensity-score-matched cohort of patients without CDC (n = 13 245). Linear and logistic regression were used to examine the effect of CDC on hospital cost (US dollars), length of stay and mortality rates. Population resampling was performed using nearest neighbour bootstrapping to confirm the validity of the results.

RESULTS

The incidence of CDC following ileostomy closure was 16 per 1000 patients. The mean length of stay was 11.5 days longer among CDC patients (P < 0.0001), with a greater cost of hospitalization of US$21 240 (P < 0.0001). There was no difference in mortality between the cohorts.

CONCLUSION

CDC following ileostomy closure is an uncommon, costly and morbid complication. Patients undergoing stoma closure are at high risk for an adverse outcome if they have CDC. Should it develop they should be aggressively treated.

The intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and Clostridium difficile infection: is there a relationship with inflammatory bowel disease?

Gut microbiota is a compilation of microorganisms dwelling in the entire mammalian gastrointestinal tract. They display a symbiotic relationship with the host contributing to its intestinal health and disease. Even a slight fluctuation in this equipoise may be deleterious to the host, leading to many pathological conditions like Clostridium difficile infection or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In this review, we focus on the role of microbial dysbiosis in initiation of C. difficile infection and IBD, and we also touch upon the role of specific pathogens, particularly C. difficile, as causative agents of IBD. We also discuss the molecular mechanisms activated by C. difficile that contribute to the development and exacerbation of gastrointestinal disorders.

Prevalence of Clostridium Difficile in Excluded Colons

Clostridium difficile infection is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality, increased duration of hospitalization, and a marked economic impact. Several case reports and case series have described C. difficile infection in excluded bowels or immediately after reversal of defunctioning ileostomy. The aim of this prospective study is to detect whether the excluded colon is associated with a higher rate of C. difficile colonization than the normal population, which may increase the risk of C. difficile infection. Patients with defunctioning loop ileostomy, undergoing closure of ileostomy to restore bowel continuity, were prospectively recruited. Two stool samples were collected from the ileostomy effluent before closure of ileostomy and two after the procedure including the first bowel movement. All samples were cultured for C. difficile and analyzed for toxins A and B by a Premier EIA test. Demographic data and possible confounding factors were observed and recorded. Twenty-fine adult patients were recruited to this study; five patients were subsequently excluded. Two patients had positive stool cultures for C. difficile in the postoperative samples and another patient developed clinical pseudomembranous colitis with positive toxin. This indicates a possible colonization rate of 3 to 38 per cent (95% confidence interval). Four observed cases out of the 20 subjects taking part in this study would confidently conclude that C. difficile colonization in the excluded colon is 6 to 44 per cent, i.e., higher than the incidence in the healthy adult population, which is 3 per cent. However, the findings of this study prompt larger and well-powered studies to confirm these findings.

Clostridium difficile Infection and Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Review

The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has significantly increased in the last decade in the United States adding to the health care burden of the country. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a higher prevalence of CDI and worse outcomes. In the past, the traditional risk factors for CDI were exposure to antibiotics and hospitalizations in elderly people. Today, it is not uncommon to diagnose CDI in a pregnant women or young adult who has no risk factors. C. difficile can be detected at the initial presentation of IBD, during a relapse or in asymptomatic carriers. It is important to keep a high index of suspicion for CDI in IBD patients and initiate prompt treatment to minimize complications. We summarize here the changing epidemiology, pathogenesis, risk factors, clinical features, and treatment of CDI in IBD.

Systematic review: Clostridium difficile and inflammatory bowel disease

BACKGROUND

There is increasing concern about the apparently rising incidence and worsening outcome of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). We have systematically reviewed the literature to evaluate the incidence, risk factors, endoscopic features, treatment and outcome of CDI complicating IBD.

AIM

To systematically review: clostridium difficile & inflammatory bowel disease.

METHODS

Structured searches of Pubmed up to September 2010 for original, cross-sectional, cohort and case-controlled studies were undertaken.

RESULTS

Of 407 studies, 42 met the inclusion criteria: their heterogeneity precluded formal meta-analysis. CDI is commoner in active IBD, particularly ulcerative colitis, than in controls. Certainty about a temporal trend to its increasing incidence in IBD is compromised by possible detection bias and miscoding. Risk factors include immunosuppressants and antibiotics, the latter less commonly than in controls. Endoscopy rarely shows pseudomembranes and is unhelpful for diagnosing CDI in IBD. There are no controlled therapeutic trials of CDI in IBD. In large studies, outcome of CDI in hospitalised IBD patients appears worse than in controls.

CONCLUSIONS

The complication of IBD by Clostridium difficile infection has received increasing attention in the past decade, but whether its incidence is really increasing or its outcome worsening remains unproven. Therapeutic trials of Clostridium difficile infection in IBD are lacking and are needed urgently.

Clostridium difficile infection and inflammatory bowel disease: Understanding the evolving relationship

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection (CDI) is the leading identifiable cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea. While there is an alarming trend of increasing incidence and severity of CDI in the United States and Europe, superimposed CDI in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has drawn considerable attention in the gastrointestinal community. The majority of IBD patients appear to contract CDI as outpatients. C. difficile affects disease course of IBD in several ways, including triggering disease flares, sustaining activity, and in some cases, acting as an “innocent” bystander. Despite its wide spectrum of presentations, CDI has been reported to be associated with a longer duration of hospitalization and a higher mortality in IBD patients. IBD patients with restorative proctocolectomy or with diverting ileostomy are not immune to CDI of the small bowel or ileal pouch. Whether immunomodulator or corticosteroid therapy for IBD should be continued in patients with superimposed CDI is controversial. It appears that more adverse outcomes was observed among patients treated by a combination of immunomodulators and antibiotics than those treated by antibiotics alone. The use of biologic agents does not appear to increase the risk of acquisition of CDI. For CDI in the setting of underlying IBD, vancomycin appears to be more efficacious than metronidazole. Randomized controlled trials are required to clearly define the appropriate management for CDI in patients with IBD.

Impact of Clostridium difficile on inflammatory bowel disease

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) has been increasing in incidence among those with underlying inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and is associated with substantial morbidity, the need for surgery and even mortality. The similar clinical presentation between CDI and a flare of underlying IBD makes prompt diagnosis essential to prevent deterioration which would accompany an escalation of immunosuppression in the absence of appropriate antibiotic therapy. Classical risk factors (antibiotic or healthcare exposure) or clinical findings (pseudomembranes) may not be found in many IBD patients with CDI and should not be considered essential for entertaining the diagnosis. Enzyme immunoassays detecting both toxins A and B remain the most widely used test for diagnosis and have acceptable sensitivity, but may require testing of multiple samples in select situations. Both vancomycin and metronidazole appear to be effective and treatment with oral vancomycin is preferred in those with severe disease, including those who require hospitalization. Appropriate infection control measures are essential to restrict patient-to-patient spread within healthcare environments and to prevent recurrences. Several novel therapies are currently under study, including new antibiotic agents and monoclonal antibodies targeted against the toxins. There is a need to broaden these studies to the IBD population. There is also the need to prospectively examine whether CDI has long-term disease-modifying consequences in those with underlying IBD.

Inflammatory alterations in excluded colon in rats: a comparison with chemically induced colitis

Diversion colitis occurs commonly in the large bowel remnant after diversion of the fecal stream. Several experimental models of colitis have been described, but none examine the inflammatory alterations that can occur in experimentally defunctioned colons. This characterization could be useful in understanding pathophysiological aspects of diversion colitis, and in developing future therapeutic strategies. Thus, we evaluated the temporal inflammatory alterations in the defunctioned colon of rats by analyzing the histological results, infiltrating neutrophils, pro-inflammatory markers such as cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and DNA damage in isolated colonocytes. We compared the obtained data with those from hapten-induced colitis. The experimental diversion of the colon fecal stream induces diversion colitis characterized by an early inflammatory process with increased neutrophil infiltrate, and COX-2 and iNOS expression that resembles, in some aspects, the inflammatory characteristics of chemically induced colitis. After acute inflammation resolution, there was an increase in COX-2 and iNOS expression and the presence of lymphoid follicular hyperplasia and ulcerations, suggesting that diversion colitis can be experimentally established and useful for studying different pathophysiological aspects of this condition.

Clostridium difficile and inflammatory bowel disease

The past decade has seen an alarming increase in the burden of disease associated with Clostridium difficile. Several studies have now demonstrated an increasing incidence of C difficile infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a more severe course of disease compared with the non-IBD population. This article summarizes the available literature on the impact of C difficile infection on IBD and discusses the various diagnostic testing and treatment options available. Also reviewed are clinical situations specific to patients with IBD that are important for the treating physician to recognize.

Clostridium difficile and inflammatory bowel disease

The past decade has seen an alarming increase in the burden of disease associated with Clostridium difficile. Several studies have now demonstrated an increasing incidence of C difficile infection in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) with a more severe course of disease compared with the non-IBD population. This article summarizes the available literature on the impact of C difficile infection on IBD and discusses the various diagnostic testing and treatment options available. Also reviewed are clinical situations specific to patients with IBD that are important for the treating physician to recognize.

A case of fulminant diversion pan-colitis presenting 19 years after colonic diversion for neuronal intestinal dysplasia

A 20-year old woman with a long history of abdominal symptoms presented with acute abdominal pain associated with nausea and vomiting. She had had a right iliac fossa end-ileostomy previously fashioned at the age of 11 months for neuronal intestinal dysplasia. A few days after her admission she suffered a hypokalaemic cardiac arrest from which she was resuscitated. Her clinical condition deteriorated as she became increasingly septic. She was diagnosed with a fulminant colitis based on the clinical picture and the finding of fluid filled, thick walled rectum suggestive of proctocolitis on a pelvic magnetic resonance imaging scan. She was taken to the operating theatre where she had a subtotal colectomy. The histopathological diagnosis was that of fulminant diversion colitis. The patient recovered from surgery and was discharged home 5 weeks later.

Clostridium difficile and inflammatory bowel disease

Clostridium difficile colitis has doubled in North America over the past 5 years and recent reports have demonstrated an increase in incidence and severity of these infections in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD; Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis). Studies from single institutions as well as trends identified in nationwide inpatient databases have shown that IBD patients with concomitant C. difficile infection experience increased morbidity and mortality. Results from our center have shown that over half of C. difficile-infected IBD patients will require hospitalization and the colectomy rate may approach 20%. Because C. difficile colitis will both mimic and precipitate an IBD flare, it is essential that clinicians be vigilant to identify and address this infectious complication, as empiric treatment with corticosteroids without appropriate antibiotics may precipitate deterioration. The majority of IBD patients appear to contract C. difficile as outpatients, and a prior history of colitis appears to be the most significant risk factor for acquiring this infection. In addition to C. difficile colitis, IBD patients are now known to be at risk for C. difficile enteritis as well as infections in reconstructed ileoanal pouches. An additional challenge facing C. difficile infections in IBD patients is the decreased efficacy of metronidazole, and the need for oral vancomycin in patients requiring hospitalization. In this review we summarize the present knowledge regarding C. difficile infection in the setting of IBD, including unique clinical scenarios facing IBD patients, diagnostic algorithms, and treatment approaches.