A Curiously Rare Case of Septic Shock From Clostridium difficile Colitis

Pediatr Emerg Care. 2017 Aug;33(8):576-578. doi: 10.1097/PEC.0000000000000496.

Abstract

This case provides the first report of a young healthy child presenting in septic shock from Clostridium difficile colitis. This child had no identifiable risk factors for C. difficile, raising the suspicion for a hypervirulent strain. Once infection was recognized and treated appropriately, the child made a full recovery. This case presentation highlights the need to consider C. difficile colitis in the differential diagnosis of severely ill patients, even in the absence of traditional risk factors or symptoms.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abdomen / diagnostic imaging
  • Acute Disease
  • Child, Preschool
  • Clostridioides difficile*
  • Clostridium Infections / complications*
  • Clostridium Infections / diagnosis
  • Clostridium Infections / microbiology
  • Colitis / complications*
  • Colitis / diagnosis
  • Colitis / microbiology
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Radiography
  • Shock, Septic / diagnosis
  • Shock, Septic / etiology*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed