Is pseudomembranous colitis infectious?

Abstract

A cluster of eight patients in two adjacent hospital wards acquired acute diarrhoea within a period of 11 days. All their stool samples contained Clostridium difficile toxin and C. difficile was isolated in every case. Three patients had rectal biopsy findings compatible with pseudomembranous colitis (PMC). All the patients responded to treatment with oral vancomycin. Until the possibility of PMC being acquired by cross-infection is clarified such patients should be nursed in isolation with strict enteric precautions.