COVID-19 and Fulminant Clostridium difficile Colitis Co-Infection

Abdul Ahad Ehsan Sheikh; Abu Baker Sheikh; Ishan Shah; Ali Hamza Khair; Nismat Javed; Rahul Shekhar

doi:10.12890/2021_002771

COVID-19 and Fulminant Clostridium difficile Colitis Co-Infection

Eur J Case Rep Intern Med. 2021 Aug 24;8(8):002771. doi: 10.12890/2021_002771. eCollection 2021.

Authors

Abdul Ahad Ehsan Sheikh¹, Abu Baker Sheikh², Ishan Shah², Ali Hamza Khair³, Nismat Javed³, Rahul Shekhar⁴

Affiliations

¹ The Wright Center for Graduate Medical Education, Department of Internal Medicine, Scranton, PA, USA.
² University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA.
³ Shifa College of Medicine, Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad, Pakistan.
⁴ Division of Hospital Medicine, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Albuquerque, NM, USA.

Abstract

The development of Clostridium difficile infection in COVID-19 patients is an understudied complication of the disease. Herein, we present the case of a 46-year-old man who developed severe healthcare-associated C. difficile infection leading to toxic megacolon and perforation in the setting of COVID-19 infection. It is important to continue to follow guidelines regarding antibiotics in healthcare settings to prevent such complications.

Learning points: Co-infection with Clostridium difficile and COVID-19 leads to poor outcomes with high mortality.C. difficile infection should be ruled out in COVID-19 patients who develop diarrhoea on antibiotic therapy.We should continue to follow the established guidelines of antimicrobial stewardship and remain vigilant for unexpected adverse effects.

Keywords: COVID-19; Clostridium difficile; antibiotics; microbial resistance.