[Clostridium difficile infecion--diagnostics, prevention and treatment]

Abstract

Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of an antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. Frequency of Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) increased in the last decade. This study presents current preventive measure i.e. hand washing, disposable gloves. Additionally, the article presents diagnostic methods: detection glutamine dehydrogenase (GDH), toxins A and B, cytotoxicity neutralization test, polymerase chain reaction methods (PCR) i.e. nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) and stool culture. Moreover available methods of treatment were presented depending on severity of CDI e.i. metronidazole, vancomycin, fidaxomicin, rifaximin. Furthermore, the review provides information about alternative methods of treatment in view of new hypervirulent strains of C. difficile and increasing resistance to commonly used antibiotics, including: fuscid acid, bacitracin, probiotics, non-toxigenic strains, immunoglobulins, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines, toxins binders and fecal transplant.