An old patient has a low-grade fever, copious, severe abdominal cramps, and a copious watery diarrhea. The physician believes his condition to be pseudomembranous colitis, an infection caused by bacteria of the genus

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Pseudomembranous colitis is primarily caused by Clostridium difficile, which can overgrow in the gut when normal gut flora are disrupted, leading to severe abdominal symptoms and diarrhea. Streptobacillus, Staphylococcus, Escherichia, and Campylobacter are not typically associated with pseudomembranous colitis.

An Old Patient Has a Low-Grade Fever, Copious, Severe Abdominal