Acta Medica Medianae (Apr 2007)
TREATMENT OF CLOSTRIDIUM DIFFICILE- ASSOCIATED DISEASE
Abstract
Clostridium difficile is a Gram-positive, spore-forming, anaerobic bacillus that is widely distributed in the environment, but is found as a part of a normal large bowel flora in approximately 3% of normal adults. C. difficile produces two protein exotoxins: toxin A and toxin B. Both toxins are responsible for causing the sings and symptoms of disease.C. difficile is now thought to be responsible for a spectrum of diseases, ranging from asymptomatic colonization to diarrhea of varying severity, life-threatening colitis, often as a consequence of long-term antibiotic exposure. This spectrum has become known as C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD).Treatment of Clostridium difficile-associated disease demand administration of effi-cient antibiotics (vancomycin, metronidazole), anion exchange resins and probiotics (Lactobacillus spp., Saccharomyces boulardii).