Dear Doctor: Is uncommon C. diff causing this patient’s chronic diarrhea?
OregonLive.com • • health
Key Points:
- A 76-year-old man experienced persistent diarrhea for six months, initially suspected as lactose intolerance but later tested positive for Clostridioides difficile (C. diff) and rotavirus A; treatment with oral vancomycin was ineffective.
- C. diff infection is a serious cause of diarrhea often linked to antibiotic use or hospital stays but can occur spontaneously; vancomycin treatment has a 10-15% initial failure rate and a 56% 30-day success rate.
- Fidaxomicin (Dificid) is now recommended as a more effective treatment for C. diff with an 87% 30-day success rate, though it is expensive and may require insurance approval after vancomycin failure.
- Patients