Choices in C. diff care
An infectious diseases expert gave an overview of the latest drugs and diagnostics at Internal Medicine Meeting 2025.
Deciding whether to test a patient for Clostridioides difficile is a thought process, not a yes or no question, according to Kelly Cawcutt, MD, MS, FACP.
“Have they been tested before? Did they have prior C. diff? If they were tested in the last week [and it was negative], it's not C. diff,” she told attendees at her session “Challenging Infectious Disease Cases for the Internal Medicine Physician” at Internal Medicine Meeting 2025. “You really shouldn't be testing them again.”
Physicians should also consider other factors that may be causing diarrhea, like laxatives or recent initiation of tube feeding, and hold off on testing until these are stopped or the patient has had time to adjust, said Dr. Cawcutt, who is an associate professor of infectious diseases and critical care at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. “We see so many cases of C. diff diagnosed and treated, and they may be colonized and not actually have disease.”
The full story is available in the April 16 ACP Hospitalist, a publication exclusive to ACP members. Single sign-on is required.