What Is Pseudomembranous Colitis?

Apart from the almost unpronouncable name, why you would want to know more about pseudomembranous colitis is a bit of a mystery to the uninitiated. After all, it seems to be nothing more than tummy ache. It might make more sense when we realize that it’s commonly associated and confused with Crohn’s disease, Colitis, Gastroduodenal and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) amongst other things.

Pseudomembranous colitis is closely related to Crohn’s disease, in that it’s an infection of the colon. It’s primary symptom is diarrhea, and is often accompanied by fever and chronic abdominal pain. The symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis can range from mild to severe.

Those at increased risk of developing pseudomembranous colitis include diabetics and elderly people. In addition, anyone recently having undergone major surgery may well be more susceptible. Signs of pseudomembranous colitis include fatigue, lethargy, loss of appetite and a general feeling of being unwell. It’s common for sufferers to be anemic.

Pseudomembranous colitis very often comes from having been on a course of antibiotics. The antibiotics affect the normal bacteria in the bowel, essentially allowing growth of some of the more harmful bacteria such as clostridium difficile. In the case of clostridium difficile there is actually a toxin produced, and it’s this toxin that causes the diarrhea.

Diagnosis of pseudomembranous colitis is usually made by colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy checking for pseudomembranes in the colon or rectum. More often these days, stool testing for the presence of Clostridium difficile toxin is now the simpler and thus first approach.

Pseudomembranous colitis is usually treated with metronidazole. Vancomycin is sometimes used, but is more costly. This explains why it is usually reserved for sufferers who have experienced a relapse after a course of metronidazole. Vancomycin treatment also carries a risk of vancomycin resistant enterococcus, with its use now being challenged by some medical institutions. Metronidazole has occasionally been associated with the development of pseudomembranous colitis.

Fecal bacteriotherapy, which involves infusion of bacterial flora acquired from the feces of a healthy donor, has been offered as an alternative cure for the disease. It works by attempting to repair the imbalance of bacteria and with a success rate of nearly 95% it has become an effective therapy for antibiotic resistance in addition to clostridium difficile infections.