Detection of toxigenic Clostridium difficile in paediatric patients

Abstract

Introduction: Our main objective was a revision of clinical, microbiological and epidemiological results of Clostridium difficile-associated infection in paediatric patients (2010-2015). We compared the diagnoses performed by detection of toxins in feces and those performed by real-time PCR.

Methods: This retrospective study included 82 paediatric patients. Detection of toxigenic C. difficile was performed sequentially, in diarrheal feces and under clinical request.

Results: A total of 39% of the patients were attended at Haematology-oncology Unit and >50% of them had previously received cephalosporins. Fever associated with diarrhea was more frequent in the group of toxin detection, whereas not receiving specific antibiotic treatment was more frequent in the group of positive PCR, without statistically significant differences.

Conclusions: We highlight the presence of C. difficile infection in children under 2years old. A diagnostic testing in selected paediatric patients would be advisable when there is clinical suspicion of infection.

Keywords: A/B toxins; Clostridium difficile; PCR B toxin gene; PCR gen toxina B; Paediatric patients; Pediatría; Toxinas A/B.