Fulminant Clostridioides difficile Infection: A Journey into the Unknown!

Abstract

Clostridioides difficile is 1 of the 5 urgent antibiotic resistance threats in the United States as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Fulminant C difficile infection (CDI), characterized by hallmarks of critical illness such as hypotension, shock, or megacolon, has been difficult to define and treat. In this article, we describe the diagnostic criteria for fulminant CDI, clinical factors and inflammatory markers. We review the currently recommended treatment modalities including antibiotics and surgical interventions, colectomy, and diverting loop ileostomy. We also included treatment approaches that are still investigational such as intestinal microbiota transplant, tigecycline, and intravenous immunoglobulin.