Pseudomembranous colitis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Digestive system

Digestive system organs

Pseudomembranous colitis

Alternative Names:

Antibiotic associated colitis; Colitis - pseudomembranous; Necrotizing colitis
Treatment:

The antibiotic causing the condition should be stopped. Metronidazole is usually used to treat the disorder, but vancomycin or rifaximinmay also be used.

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Rehydration with electrolyte solutions or intravenous therapy may be needed to replace fluids lost with diarrhea. In rare cases, surgery is required to treat infections that worsen or do not respond to antibiotics.

Expectations (prognosis):

If there are no complications, the outlook is generally good, although up to 20% of infections may recur and need additional treatment.

Complications:

Perforation (hole) of the colon
Dehydration with electrolyte imbalance
Toxic megacolon

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you or someone else has:

Persistent diarrhea
Bloody stools after taking antibiotics
Severe abdominal pain
Signs of dehydration (dry skin, dry mouth, glassy appearance of the eyes, sunken fontanelles in infants, rapid pulse, confusion, excessive tiredness)
Other troubling symptoms