الفهرس 
Introduction and RationalOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
C. difficile is a spore-forming, obligate anaerobic, Gram positive bacillus
and is acquired from the environment or by the fecal-oral route. Toxins A and B
are responsible for intestinal disease. C. difficile has been recognized as the most
important nosocomial pathogen that manifests gastrointestinal symptoms
subsequent to the use of broad spectrum antibiotics. Changes in the composition of
the intestinal microbiota have been implicated in the initiation or maintenance of
CDAD, which occurs predominantly in patients whose colonic microbiota has been
disrupted by antibiotic therapy. Clinical symptoms of CDI vary widely, from
asymptomatic colonization to pseudomembranous colitis with bloody diarrhea,
fever, and severe abdominal pain. Alarming changes in the epidemiology of
CDAD, including an increase in both the incidence and severity of the disease,
have highlighted concerns about patterns of C. difficile infection.