Loading...
Patients undergoing proctocolectomy with ileal pouch-anal anastomosis (IPAA) for ulcerative colitis are at risk for development of pouchitis. Refractory pouchitis has multiple causes, one of which might be concurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI; Dig Dis Sci 2006: 51:2361). What are the risk factors for acquiring such infections in pouch disorders? Does therapy for C. difficile improve pouchitis symptoms?
To find out, researchers enrolled 115 consecutive ulcerative colitis patients with IPAA who underwent routine or diagnostic endoscopies at a single tertiary-care clinic in the U.S. Study participants had pouch aspirates analyzed for C. difficile toxins; 21 (18%) tested positive and received antibacterial therapy.
CDI was associated w…