Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Clostridium difficile infection classification
Introduction
Overview
Overview
C. difficile infection may be classified based on the clinical severity of the disease. The severity of the infection dictates the choice of antimicrobial therapy and the need for surgical consultation/management. Mild disease is defined as isolated diarrhea, whereas severe/complicated disease is defined as either delirium, shock, organ failure, high-grade fever, or marked leukocytosis.
Classification
Classification
Shown below is a table that classifies C. difficile infection based on clinical features and lab findings. The severity of the infection dictates the choice of antimicrobial therapy.
| Severity | Criteria |
|---|---|
| Mild | Diarrhea as the only symptom |
| Moderate | Raised white cell count but <15,000 cells/mL and serum creatine <1.5 times baseline |
| Severe | Leucocytosis >15,000 cells/mL OR serum creatinene level >1.5 times baseline or abdominal tenderness and serum albumin < 3 g/dL |
| Severe complicated | Hypotension or shock, ileus, megacolon, leucocytosis >20,000 cells/mL OR leucopenia <2,000, lactate >2.2 mmol/L, delirium, fever ≥ 38.5 °C, organ failure |
References
References
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Yazan Daaboul, M.D.