Bacteriemia por Clostridium difficile

Resumen

La infección extraintestinal por Clostridium difficile es infrecuente, siendo la presencia de su aislamiento en hemocultivos extremadamente rara. De este modo, la especie Clostridium es causante del 2% de bacteriemias, y de estas, el 5% es por C. difficile. Cuando la bacteriemia por C. difficile ocurre, se caracteriza por ser polimicrobiana, asociada a flora intestinal, aunque se han descrito casos de bacteriemia exclusivamente por C. difficile. Además, se relaciona típicamente con enfermedad gastrointestinal, presentando una mortalidad elevada, de hasta un 50%.

Abstract

Extra-intestinal infection due to Clostridium difficile is uncommon, with the presence of its isolation in extremely rare blood cultures. As such, the Clostridium species is responsible for 2% of bacteraemia, and 5% of these is caused by C. difficile. C. difficile bacteraemia is characterised by being polymicrobial, associated with intestinal flora, although cases of bacteraemia exclusively by C. difficile have been described. It is also typically associated with gastrointestinal disease, with a high mortality up to 50%.