A new clinical practice update from the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) outlines several best practices for the management of Clostridium difficile infection among patients with inflammatory bowel disease. The update is based on evidence from the scientific literature, expert opinion statements, and current practice guidelines. The update summarizes expert opinion on the subject but does not include a formal systematic review of the evidence. Among the best practices discussed in the update:

• Test patients with a flare-up of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) for C. difficile infection.
• Screen patients for recurrent C. difficile when diarrhea or other symptoms of colitis linger or return after they have been treated for the infection.
• Consider treating C. difficile with vancomycin rather than metronidazole in patients with IBD.