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Watch out Pseudomembranous colitis! - Pseudomembranous colitis is inflammation of the large intestine that occurs after a person takes antibiotics.

Pseudomembranous colitis sometimes called antibiotic-associated colitis or C. difficile colitis.

Inflammation of the colon is almost always associated with bacterial overgrowth of Clostridium difficile.

Pseudomembranous colitis a severe potentially life-threatening, although this is very rare.
Symptom

Signs and symptoms of pseudomembranous colitis include:

    Diarrhea that is sometimes accompanied by blood
    Cramping and abdominal pain
    Fever
    Pus or mucus in the stool
    Nausea
    Dehydration

Symptoms usually begin to appear 1-2 days after starting to take antibiotics or a few weeks after stopping the use of antibiotics.
Cause

Pseudomembranous colitis occurs when harmful bacteria in the gut - usually C. difficile - release potent toxins that irritate the colon.

Harmful bacteria usually will not grow due to the presence of excess of healthy bacteria in the digestive system.

However, this balance can be disrupted when a healthy bacterial population decreased due to the use of antibiotics and other drugs.
Almost all antibiotics could potentially trigger pseudomembranous colitis. Antibiotics are most often associated with this disease include:

    Quinolone, such as ciprofloxacin (Cipro) and levofloxacin (Levaquin)
    Penicillins, such as amoxicillin and ampicillin
    Clindamycin (Cleocin)
    Cephalosporins, such as cefixime (Suprax)

Other causes

Although antibiotics are the primary cause of pseudomembranous colitis, other medicines may also be responsible.

Chemotherapy, for example, can disrupt the balance of bacteria in the gut that trigger pseudomembranous colitis.

This disease can also occur in people with diseases that affect the colon, such as ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease.

In addition, spores C. difficile is resistant to many common disinfectants can be passed from the hands of health care workers to patients.
Risk Factors

Factors that may increase risk of pseudomembranous colitis include:

    Taking antibiotics
    Stay in the hospital or nursing home
    Age over 65 years
    Have a weakened immune system
    Have bowel disease, such as inflammatory bowel disease or colorectal cancer
    Intestinal surgery
    Receiving chemotherapy for cancer treatment