Biomaterial Database

Clostridium difficile cytotoxin in a pediatric population. 1983

C M Thompson, and P H Gilligan, and M C Fisher, and S S Long

Assays for cytotoxin of Clostridium difficile were performed on stool samples submitted to the laboratory for routine microbiologic study. Cytotoxin was recovered from 8.6% of 208 pediatric patients studied. Cytotoxin was identified significantly more often in younger patients (median age, 11 months) and in those with hospital-associated illness (17%) and antibiotic-associated illness (18%). Hospitalization and antibiotic use were significant independent risk factors. Clinical diagnoses in patients with C difficile cytotoxin included classic pseudomembranous colitis, acute self-resolving diarrheal syndrome, chronic diarrhea with failure to thrive, infant botulism, and asymptomatic carriage.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D007231	Infant, Newborn	An infant during the first 28 days after birth.	Neonate,Newborns,Infants, Newborn,Neonates,Newborn,Newborn Infant,Newborn Infants
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D003013	Clostridium	A genus of motile or nonmotile gram-positive bacteria of the family Clostridiaceae. Many species have been identified with some being pathogenic. They occur in water, soil, and in the intestinal tract of humans and lower animals.
D003603	Cytotoxins	Substances that are toxic to cells; they may be involved in immunity or may be contained in venoms. These are distinguished from CYTOSTATIC AGENTS in degree of effect. Some of them are used as CYTOTOXIC ANTIBIOTICS. The mechanism of action of many of these are as ALKYLATING AGENTS or MITOSIS MODULATORS.	Cytolysins,Cytotoxic Agent,Cytotoxic Agents,Cytotoxin,Agent, Cytotoxic
D003967	Diarrhea	An increased liquidity or decreased consistency of FECES, such as running stool. Fecal consistency is related to the ratio of water-holding capacity of insoluble solids to total water, rather than the amount of water present. Diarrhea is not hyperdefecation or increased fecal weight.	Diarrheas
D005243	Feces	Excrement from the INTESTINES, containing unabsorbed solids, waste products, secretions, and BACTERIA of the DIGESTIVE SYSTEM.
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000293	Adolescent	A person 13 to 18 years of age.	Adolescence,Youth,Adolescents,Adolescents, Female,Adolescents, Male,Teenagers,Teens,Adolescent, Female,Adolescent, Male,Female Adolescent,Female Adolescents,Male Adolescent,Male Adolescents,Teen,Teenager,Youths