The interplay of Clostridioides difficile infection and inflammatory bowel disease

Abstract

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a chronic disease of the intestinal tract that commonly presents with diarrhea. Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) is one of the most common complications associated with IBD that lead to flare-ups of underlying IBD. The pathophysiology of CDI includes perturbations of the gut microbiota, which makes IBD a risk factor due to the gut microbial alterations that occur in IBD, predisposing patients CDI even in the absence of antibiotics. Superimposed CDI not only worsens IBD symptoms but also leads to adverse outcomes, including treatment failure and an increased risk of hospitalization, surgery, and mortality. Due to the overlapping symptoms and concerns with false-positive molecular tests for CDI, diagnosing CDI in patients with IBD remains a clinical challenge. It is crucial to have a high index of suspicion for CDI in patients who seem to be experiencing an exacerbation of IBD symptoms. Vancomycin and fidaxomicin are the first-line treatments for the management of CDI in IBD. Microbiota restoration therapies effectively prevent recurrent CDI in IBD patients. Immunosuppression for IBD in IBD patients with CDI should be managed individually, based on a thorough clinical assessment and after weighing the pros and cons of escalation of therapy. This review summarizes the epidemiology, pathophysiology, the diagnosis of CDI in IBD, and outlines the principles of management of both CDI and IBD in IBD patients with CDI.