Concomitant Medical Conditions and Therapies Preclude Accurate Classification of Children With Severe or Severe Complicated Clostridium difficile Infection

Larry K Kociolek; Sameer J Patel; Stanford T Shulman; Dale N Gerding

doi:10.1093/jpids/piu121

Concomitant Medical Conditions and Therapies Preclude Accurate Classification of Children With Severe or Severe Complicated Clostridium difficile Infection

J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc. 2015 Dec;4(4):e139-42. doi: 10.1093/jpids/piu121. Epub 2014 Dec 29.

Authors

Larry K Kociolek¹, Sameer J Patel¹, Stanford T Shulman¹, Dale N Gerding²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Illinois Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
² Department of Medicine, Edward Hines, Jr. VA Hospital, Hines, Illinois Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, Maywood, Illinois.

PMID: 26582882
DOI: 10.1093/jpids/piu121

Abstract

Severe and severe complicated Clostridium difficile infections (SCDI/SCCDI) were retrospectively assessed in a pediatric cohort. Underlying medical conditions and concomitant medical therapy preclude accurate classification of children with SCDI/SCCDI, using current CDI severity definitions. Revised CDI definitions in children should focus on more objective, age-appropriate, and CDI-specific markers of severity.

Keywords: Clostridium difficile; complicated; definition; pediatric; severe.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Child
Child, Preschool
Clostridioides difficile
Clostridium Infections / classification
Clostridium Infections / complications*
Clostridium Infections / diagnosis*
Humans
Infant
Practice Guidelines as Topic
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Severity of Illness Index
Young Adult