Corticosteroid treatment of severe, non-responsive Clostridium difficile induced colitis

Abstract

Clostridium difficile can cause inflammatory diarrhoea and colitis by disrupting normal colonic flora. Corticosteroids are effective against diarrhoea associated with inflammatory bowel disease, but their effectiveness in treating inflammatory diarrhoea of C difficile has not been reported. In this preliminary report, we describe the use of corticosteroids in a child with severe C difficile diarrhoea and colitis refractory to standard treatments.