Clostridium difficile infection: a critical overview.

Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming, toxin-producing anaerobic bacillus identified as the causal agent of a variety of manifestations typically isolated to the colon, but in its severe form, it can lead to sepsis and death. C. difficile infection due to a toxin gene variant strain (BI/NAP1) has been identified at the center of outbreaks and has resulted in increased mortality. Many questions remain as to how this strain appeared so quickly and has harmed or killed so many patients. We present a review of C. difficile infection, discussing its clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and prevention.