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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSome people who have C. difficile never become sick, though they can still spread the infection. C. difficile illness usually develops during or shortly after a course of antibiotics. But signs and symptoms may not appear for weeks or even months afterward.
The most common symptoms of mild to moderate C. difficile disease are:
- Watery diarrhea three or more times a day for two or more days
- Mild abdominal cramping and tenderness
In more severe cases, C. difficile causes the colon to become inflamed (colitis) or to form patches of raw tissue that can bleed or produce pus (pseudomembranous colitis). Signs and symptoms of severe infection include:
- Watery diarrhea 10 to 15 times a day
- Abdominal cramping and pain, which may be severe
- Fever
- Blood or pus in the stool
- Nausea
- Dehydration
- Loss of appetite
- Weight loss
When to see a doctor
Many people have loose stools during or shortly after antibiotic therapy. See your doctor if your symptoms last more than three days or you have fever, severe pain or cramping, or blood in your stool, or more than three bowel movements a day.
- Kelly CP, et al. Patient information: Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (Clostridium difficile). http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Nov. 3, 2008.
- Bartlett JG. Narrative review: The new epidemic of Clostridium difficile-associated enteric disease. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2006;145:758.
- Kelly CP, et al. Treatment of antibiotic-associated diarrhea caused by Clostridium difficile. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Nov. 3, 2008.
- Kelly CP, et al. Clostridium difficile - More difficult than ever. New England Journal of Medicine. 2008;359:1932.
- LaMont JT. Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of Clostridium difficile infection. http://www.uptodate.com. Accessed Nov. 3, 2008.
- Durai R. Epidemiology, pathogenesis, and management of Clostridium difficile infection. Digestive Disease Science. 2007;52:2958.
- Monaghan T, et al. Recent advances in Clostridium difficile-associated disease. Gut. 2008;57:850.
- Sunenshine R, et al. Clostridium difficile-associated disease: New challenges from an established pathogen. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. 2006;73:187.
- Information for healthcare providers. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dhqp/id_CdiffFAQ_HCP.html. Accessed March 2, 2009.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, et al. Guideline for hand hygiene in health-care settings. MMWR Recommendations and Reports. 2002;51:RR-16. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/rr/rr5116.pdf. Accessed March 2, 2009.
