Advances in diagnosis and treatment of clostridium difficile infection in children
Clostridium difficile(CD)is a pathogen of intestinal conditions and a major cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea.In recent years,the incidence of clostridium difficile infection(CDI)in children has been increasing.The latest data show that more cases of CDI in children occur outside the hospital and are mainly associated with the community.Relying on traditional detection techniques is likely to lead to the over-diagnosis and treatment of CDI in children.New detection techniques such as volatile organic compounds,pro-inflammatory cytokines and fecal metabolites are expected to improve the diagnosis of CDI in children.Metronidazole and vancomycin are recommended as the first-line treatment of CDI in children.For children with recurrent CDI,fecal microbiota transplantation is promising,but its long-term safety is still unknown and further studies are needed.This article reviews the advances in CDI in children,especially in epidemiology,diagnosis and treatment.