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Rev Chilena Infectol 2022 02;39(1):29-34

Servicio de Microbiología y Parasitología, Hospital Universitario de Canarias, Tenerife, España.

Background: Clostridioides dfficile infection (CDI) is the main cause of nosocomial diarrhea, generally associated with the use of antibiotics. This infection can cause uncomplicated diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis or toxic megacolon. Recent studies have attempted to relate the threshold cycle (Ct) value of RT-PCR with mortality, as a fast, simple, objective and efficient method. Read More

Andes Pediatr 2022 Feb 8;93(1):105-109. Epub 2021 Sep 8.

Hospital Exequiel González Cortés, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile.

Introduction: Chronic constipation is a frequent pathology in the pediatric age that affects the quality of life of pa tients and their families. Its management is usually complex and long associated with poor adheren ce. Toxic megacolon is a serious, potentially lethal disease when chronic constipation is left untreated or poor adherence to treatment. Read More

Indian J Gastroenterol 2022 Apr 26. Epub 2022 Apr 26.

Department of Gastroenterology and Human Nutrition, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, 110 029, India.

Background: Optimal outcomes in acute severe ulcerative colitis (ASUC) are related to time-bound management based upon early prediction of response to intravenous (IV) steroids. In an earlier study, we described the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) index (baseline Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity [UCEIS] ≥ 7 and day 3 fecal calprotectin [FCP] > 1000 μg/g) for predicting failure of IV steroids. The current study is designed to validate this index in a prospective cohort. Read More

Front Med (Lausanne) 2022 8;9:870342. Epub 2022 Apr 8.

Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Shanghai, China.

Purpose: To explore the treatments and short-term effects of different types of adult Hirschsprung's disease.

Methods: 89 patients treated in Shanghai Changhai Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. According to the patient's medical history, clinical manifestations, auxiliary examination and postoperative pathological results, the patients were divided into adult congenital megacolon, adult idiopathic megacolon, ganglion cell deficiency (types I and II), toxic megacolon and iatrogenic megacolon, The Treatment methods and short-term prognosis of patients in each group were summarized. Read More

Anaerobe 2022 Apr 22;74:102550. Epub 2022 Mar 22.

School of Biomedical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia; School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA, Australia; Medical, Molecular and Forensic Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, WA, Australia; PathWest Laboratory Medicine, Department of Microbiology, Nedlands, WA, Australia. Electronic address:

Background: Clostridioides (Clostridium) difficile commonly causes hospital-acquired infection which can range from mild diarrhoea to life-threatening toxic megacolon and even death. Reports on C. difficile infection (CDI) in Vietnam are limited, so this study was designed to evaluate the prevalence, molecular epidemiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of C. Read More

J Med Case Rep 2022 Mar 25;16(1):126. Epub 2022 Mar 25.

Division of Urology, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, 301 University Blvd, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA.

Background: Robotic-assisted surgeries have gradually become the standard of care for many procedures, especially in the field of urology. Despite the widespread use of robotic assistance in surgeries, data on its postoperative complications are extremely limited. We detail a rare presentation of fulminant Clostridium difficile colitis requiring surgical intervention in a patient with a solitary ectopic pelvic kidney who underwent a robotic-assisted pyelolithotomy. Read More

AACN Adv Crit Care 2022 Mar;33(1):85-98

Eleanor R. Fitzpatrick is Clinical Nurse Specialist, Surgical Intensive Care Unit, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, 111 S 11th Street, 4141 Gibbon Building, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Infectious and inflammatory disorders of the gastrointestinal system are life-threatening and occur frequently in hospitalized adults. Inflammatory and inflammation-related diseases of the gastrointestinal tract seen in the acutely and critically ill have numerous causes. In acute pancreatitis and toxic infections caused by the bacterium Clostridium difficile, where severe infections can develop, inflammation plays a causative and crucial role. Read More

Cureus 2022 Jan 25;14(1):e21580. Epub 2022 Jan 25.

Internal Medicine, Wright-Patterson Medical Center/Wright State University, Dayton, USA.

A 92-year-old male presented from an outside hospital for treatment of a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbation (COPD) and subsequently developed worsening abdominal distention with pain during the course of his hospitalization. He was found to have a high-grade large-bowel obstruction with a dilated colon of 20 cm measuring upward. The patient ultimately underwent a hemicolectomy to prevent bowel ischemia and reformation of another volvulus. Read More

PLoS Pathog 2022 02 17;18(2):e1010323. Epub 2022 Feb 17.

Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, Tennessee, United States of America.

Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is the leading cause of nosocomial diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis in the USA. In addition to these symptoms, patients with CDI can develop severe inflammation and tissue damage, resulting in life-threatening toxic megacolon. CDI is mediated by two large homologous protein toxins, TcdA and TcdB, that bind and hijack receptors to enter host cells where they use glucosyltransferase (GT) enzymes to inactivate Rho family GTPases. Read More

Environ Microbiol 2022 03 17;24(3):1499-1517. Epub 2022 Feb 17.

Institute of Microbiology, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.

Infections by the pathogenic gut bacterium Clostridioides difficile cause severe diarrhoeas up to a toxic megacolon and are currently among the major causes of lethal bacterial infections. Successful bacterial propagation in the gut is strongly associated with the adaptation to changing nutrition-caused environmental conditions; e.g. Read More

JAMA Netw Open 2021 12 1;4(12):e2141089. Epub 2021 Dec 1.

ICES, Ontario, Canada.

Importance: Little is known about the incidence and outcomes of Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients.

Objective: To estimate the CDI incidence and outcomes in SOT recipients.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A population-based cohort study was conducted using administrative health care data for all Ontario, Canada, residents who received organ allografts from April 1, 2003, to December 31, 2017; March 31, 2020, was the end of the study period. Read More

Microb Pathog 2022 Jan 22;162:105372. Epub 2021 Dec 22.

Department of Bacteriology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran; Microbiology Research Center (MRC), Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

Clostridioides difficile is one of the major causatives of nosocomial infections worldwide. Antibiotic-associated diarrhea, pseudomembranous colitis, and toxic megacolon are the most common forms of C. difficile infection (CDI). Read More

World J Gastrointest Surg 2021 Nov;13(11):1436-1447

Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, BronxCare Health System, Bronx, NY 10457, United States.

Background: infection (CDI) occurs due to a dysbiosis in the colon. The appendix is considered a 'safe house' for gut microbiota and may help repopulate gut flora of patients with CDI.

Aim: To study the impact of prior appendectomy on the severity and outcomes of CDI. Read More

Zhonghua Wei Chang Wai Ke Za Zhi 2021 Dec;24(12):1054-1057

Department of Colorectal Surgery, Changhai Hospital, Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China.

Adult megacolon is a rare disease with heterogeneneous etiology. The treatment schemes of megacolon caused by different causes are also different, but surgery is the final and the most effective method. Due to the lack of early understanding of the disease, many patients have not been clearly diagnosed as adult megacolon and have not been properly treated. Read More

Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2021 Oct 28;14(11). Epub 2021 Oct 28.

Instituto Universitario de Enfermedades Tropicales y Salud Pública de Canarias (IUETSPC), Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), Avenida Astrofísico Francisco Sánchez s/n, 38203 La Laguna, Spain.

Leishmaniasis and Chagas disease are neglected tropical diseases that cause problems in developing countries. The causative agents, spp. and , produce a clinical picture that can be fatal for the patient, such as Chagas heart disease, visceral leishmaniasis and megacolon, among others. Read More

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2021 Nov;10(Supplement_3):S34-S40

The University of Western Australia, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre, Nedlands, Western Australia, Australia.

Clostridioides difficile is a prominent cause of health care-related gastrointestinal illness in adults. C. difficile infection (CDI) has been researched for over 40 years; however, research on pediatric CDI specifically has lagged behind for various reasons. Read More

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2021 Nov;10(Supplement_3):S3-S7

Division of Protective Immunity, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Clostridioides difficile is a spore-forming, obligate anaerobe, and ubiquitous nosocomial pathogen. While C. difficile infection in adults causes a spectrum of disease, including pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon, healthy infants are asymptomatically colonized at high rates. Read More

Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2021 29;11:757599. Epub 2021 Oct 29.

Department of Infection Biology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom.

is the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea and is capable of causing severe symptoms, such as pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon. An unusual feature of is the distinctive production of high levels of the antimicrobial compound -cresol. -Cresol production provides with a competitive colonization advantage over gut commensal species, in particular, Gram-negative species. Read More

Rev Gastroenterol Peru 2021 Apr-Jun;41(2):79-85

Servicio de Cirugía Colorrectal, Hospital Nacional Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen. Lima, Perú.

The management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is mainly medical, however, more than 70% of patients with Crohn's disease (CD) and 25% with ulcerative colitis (UC) will require surgery during their lifetime.

Objective: To evaluate medical, surgical management and evolution in patients with moderate-to-severe IBD.

Materials And Methods: Observational, descriptive, retrospective study from January 2011 to December 2019 in the Gastroenterology Service of the Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen National Hospital, Lima-Peru. Read More

Curr Gastroenterol Rep 2021 Oct 30;23(12):25. Epub 2021 Oct 30.

Division of Colon and Rectal Surgery, IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital, via Manzoni 56, 20089, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.

Purpose Of Review: In this study we present the evidence based management for patients hospitalized for UC with a special focus on the synergic approach of the two key actors of the inflammatory bowel disease multidisciplinary team (IBD-MDT): gastroenterologist and surgeon.

Recent Findings: Focused treatment by a specialized IBD-MDT and early involvement of the colorectal surgeon in the management of hospitalized ulcerative colitis patients is advocated. The colectomy rate has not changed over the years. Read More

Front Microbiol 2021 12;12:763129. Epub 2021 Oct 12.

The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, Bar-Ilan University, Safed, Israel.

is one of the leading causes of healthcare-associated diarrhea, with severity ranging from mild, self-limiting disease, to life-threatening toxic megacolon. infection (CDI) pathogenesis is mediated by the TcdA and TcdB toxins. This work aimed to draw correlations between toxin levels, bacterial strains, and disease severity in 63 CDI patients. Read More

Autops Case Rep 2021 3;11:e2021319. Epub 2021 Sep 3.

Mount Sinai Medical Center, Department of General Surgery, Miami Beach, FL, USA.

Background: The bowel is the most common site of extragenital endometriosis, with involvement of the locoregional sigmoid colon and anterior rectum seen most often. The clinical presentation varies depending on how soon patients seek medical care, thus requiring changes in management strategies. Endometriosis can cause a life-threatening surgical emergency with progressive obliteration of the bowel lumen leading to obstruction and late complications including toxic megacolon and transmural necrosis. Read More

Eur J Case Rep Intern Med 2021 24;8(8):002771. Epub 2021 Aug 24.

Division of Hospital Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA.

The development of infection in COVID-19 patients is an understudied complication of the disease. Herein, we present the case of a 46-year-old man who developed severe healthcare-associated infection leading to toxic megacolon and perforation in the setting of COVID-19 infection. It is important to continue to follow guidelines regarding antibiotics in healthcare settings to prevent such complications. Read More

Exp Ther Med 2021 Oct 3;22(4):1112. Epub 2021 Aug 3.

Faculty of Medicine, 'Carol Davila' University of Medicine and Pharmacy, 050474 Bucharest, Romania.

(CD) is an anaerobic, gram-positive bacterium that can produce a spectrum of gastrointestinal diseases ranging from pseudomembranous colitis to diarrhea to toxic megacolon. The infection is even more difficult to manage as CD produces high-end spores, suggesting that this may be the cause of the dangerous recurrent disease as well as dissemination among healthy members in the community. Spores can be hosted in the digestive tract of both symptomatic and asymptomatic patients. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 08 31;18(17). Epub 2021 Aug 31.

Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, San Pietro Fatebenefratelli Hospital, 00189 Rome, Italy.

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a possible complication occurring after prosthesis implantation. We describe the case of a patient with early postoperative multidrug-resistant polymicrobial PJI and mixed infection of the surgical wound. Despite the removal of the prosthesis, the positioning of double-stage exchange, and dehiscence debridement of the surgical wound, the infection continued. Read More

Clin Infect Dis 2022 06;74(11):2028-2035

Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.

Background: Many models have been developed to predict severe outcomes from Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). These models are usually developed at a single institution and largely are not externally validated. Our aim in this study was to validate previously published risk scores in a multicenter cohort of patients with CDI. Read More

Cureus 2021 Jul 22;13(7):e16566. Epub 2021 Jul 22.

Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center, Brooklyn, USA.

Introduction Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is increasingly common among patients with other comorbid chronic conditions, particularly diabetes mellitus (DM). Yet, studies that explored the impact of comorbid diabetes on the outcomes of IBD are scanty. Therefore, this study aims to examine the outcomes of inflammatory bowel disease among hospitalized patients with diabetes mellitus. Read More

Clin Exp Gastroenterol 2021 19;14:309-310. Epub 2021 Jul 19.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.2147/CEG.S200760. Read More

Int J Clin Pract 2021 Oct 28;75(10):e14626. Epub 2021 Jul 28.

Gastroenterology Unit, Internal Medicine Department, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt.

Background: Inflammatory bowel diseases are gaining more interest in the past few years. Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic disease that requires accurate follow-up for a good treatment plan. Colonoscopy alone cannot be efficient to detect disease extent and has a high risk of perforation in acute severe UC and toxic megacolon. Read More

Cureus 2021 Apr 29;13(4):e14751. Epub 2021 Apr 29.

General Surgery, MacDill Air Force Base (AFB), Tampa, USA.

Clostridium difficle (C. diff) is a well known cause of infectious diarrhea across hospitals in the developed world. An anaerobic, gram positive rod bacteria, C. Read More