Case report of clostridium difficile infection after rectal resection with ileostomy

TL;DR

This case report describes a patient who developed a clostridium difficile infection after rectal cancer surgery and ileostomy, successfully treated with fecal microbiota transplantation.

Contribution

The report highlights the use of fecal microbiota transplantation as an effective treatment for clostridium difficile infection following ileostomy.

Findings

Clostridium difficile infection can occur after ileostomy due to disrupted intestinal ecology.

Fecal microbiota transplantation successfully treated the infection in this case.

Early diagnosis is challenging due to similar symptoms of high-output ileostomy.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide, with high incidence and mortality rates. Surgical resection is the primary treatment for rectal cancer. To reduce the occurrence and severity of postoperative complications such as anastomotic leakage, prophylactic ileostomy is often performed concurrently. However, following ileostomy creation, there is a disruption in intestinal ecology, making patients susceptible to clostridium difficile infection. clostridium difficile is a Gram-positive anaerobic spore-forming bacterium that is resistant to most antibiotics due to spore formation, leading to high recurrence rates and treatment failure. Additionally, in the early stages of clostridium difficile infection, increased ileostomy output can be challenging to differentiate from normal postoperative conditions, potentially resulting in missed diagnosis, delayed treatment, and increased healthcare burden.This case report describes a case of high out-put ileostomy caused by clostridium difficile infection following rectal resection with ileostomy, which was successfully treated by fecal microbiota transplantation, providing evidence-based medicine for clinical practice.

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