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IBD Patients Rarely Suffer Non-C. difficile Infections
Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol; ePub 2017 Oct 13; Hanada, et al
While Clostridium difficile infection is a significant cause of flare-ups in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), very few IBD patients develop non-Clostridium difficile infections, according to a recent retrospective analysis of patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Highlights include:
- Researchers tested for Campylobacter jejuni, C coli, Salmonella species, Shigella species, entero-invasive Escherichia coli, shiga toxin–producing E coli, or Yersinia species.
- Among 296 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) who had stool samples tested using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis, only 3 positive results came back for any of these non-C. difficile pathogens.
- Among 418 UC patients who had stool samples cultured, there were 12 positive tests for non-C. difficile pathogens.
- In 311 patients with Crohn’s disease, only 1 PCR-based bacterial test was positive.
- 9 positive cultures were detected among 413 patients with Crohn’s disease.
Citation:
Hanada Y, Khanna S, Loftus EV, et al. Non–Clostridium difficile bacterial infections are rare in patients with flares of inflammatory bowel disease. [Published online ahead of print October 13, 2017]. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2017.10.008.