Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhea
( CDAD)

Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) can be associated with a wide spectrum of signs and symptoms ranging from mild diarrhea to life-threatening complications. Clostridium difficile is a gram-positive, spore-forming rod that is responsible for 15 to 20 percent of antibiotic-related cases of diarrhea and nearly all causes of pseudomembranous colitis. Because of the frequent use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, the incidence of C. difficile diarrhea has risen dramatically in recent decades.