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Diarrhoea - antibiotic associated - Management
Additional information
Severity of Clostridium difficile infection can be defined as [DH and HPA, 2008]:
- Mild: not associated with an increased white cell count (WCC). It is typically associated with less than three episodes of loose stools (defined as loose enough to take the shape of the container used to sample it) per day.
- Moderate: associated with an increased WCC (but less than 15 x 109/L) and typically associated with 3–5 loose stools per day.
- Severe: associated with a WCC greater than 15 x 109/L, or an acutely increased serum creatinine concentration (that is, greater than 50% increase above baseline), or a temperature higher than 38.5°C, or evidence of severe colitis (abdominal or radiological signs). The number of stools may be a less reliable indicator of severity.
- Life-threatening: signs and symptoms include hypotension, partial or complete ileus, or toxic megacolon.
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