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?:definition
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Pseudomembranous colitis is a severe, necrotizing process that involves the large intestine and occurs as a complication of antibiotic therapy. It occasionally occurs in the absence of antibiotic exposure; a predisposing condition is often present, e.g., recent bowel surgery, uraemia, intestinal ischaemia, chemotherapy, bone marrow transplantation. The responsible pathogen is \'Clostridium difficile\', a member of the normal flora that overgrows in the presence of certain antibiotics or in the absence of normal bacterial flora due to other factors. Culture and toxin tests are available to identify C. difficile but a positive microbiology test(s) in the absence of clinical findings does not support a definitive diagnosis of pseudomembranous colitis. Many reports of diarrhoea associated with antibiotic therapy may not have definitive diagnoses or specific tests for pseudomembranous colitis. Uncomplicated antibiotic-induced diarrhoea usually subsides spontaneously within two weeks of antibiotic discontinuation. For persisting symptoms or frank colitis, aggressive therapy may be required to restore balance of the bacterial flora within the lumen of the intestinal tract.
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