Advances in the diagnosis and treatment of Clostridioides [Clostridium] difficile infections in inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) have a significantly increased risk of clinically relevant clostridial infection (CDI). In turn, CDI can increase IBD activity. Therefore, rapid diagnosis and therapy is required. Many diagnostic and treatment studies on patients with CDI without inflammatory bowel disease are not congruent with IBD patients. This overview summarizes the everyday data of recent years and condenses these into four guiding principles. 1) patients with IBD present a risk population for a CDI. A CDI not only worsens the disease activity in the short term, but also causes increased morbidity and mortality in the long term. 2) If a CDI is suspected, glutamate-dehydrogenase (GDH) detection should be carried out quickly. If this is positive, and the disease activity is high, a therapy against C. difficile already may be initiated and-if necessary-terminated in cases of negative confirmation tests. 3) IBD patients with a proven CDI should be treated primarily with vancomycin. 4) In a relapsing CDI, fecal microbiome transfer is an effective therapeutic measure. However, activation of the IBD must be expected in about 15 % of cases. Consistent adherence to these guidelines may help treat a CDI in IBD patients.