ARCHIVED - Clostridium difficile associated diarrhea
Nationally notifiable since 2009
1.0 National Notification
Only confirmed cases of disease should be notified.
2.0 Type of Surveillance
Routine case-by-case notification to the federal level
3.0 Case Classification
3.1 Confirmed case
Clinical illness (see section 5.0) and laboratory confirmation of infection:
- a positive toxin assay for C. difficile
OR
Diagnosis of pseudomembranes on sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy, or histological/ pathological diagnosis of C. difficile infection
4.0 Laboratory Comments
5.0 Clinical Evidence
Clinical illness consists of diarrhea or fever, abdominal pain and/or ileus.
Diarrhea is defined as one of the following:
- six watery stools in past 36 hours
- three unformed stools in 24 hours for at least 1 day
- eight unformed stools over 48 hours
6.0 ICD Code(s)
6.1 ICD-10 Code(s)
A04.7
6.2 ICD-9/ICD-9CM Code(s)
- 008.45
- Colitis due to C. difficile
7.0 Type of International Reporting
8.0 Comments
9.0 References
Date of Last Revision/Review:
May 2008
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