In 2010, professional society clinical practice guidelines and recommendations on the diagnosis and treatment of CDI were published by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) and the Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA). However, the 2010 guidelines were unclear relative to the types of tests available for CDI diagnosis. In February 2018, and updated in 2021, the IDSA and SHEA published new guidelines intended to clarify the previously unclear recommendations for laboratory testing. These new guidelines allow for improvements in the diagnosis and management of CDI in adults and children. In addition, the 2021 guidelines updated the treatment recommendations. The overall objective of the new guidelines is to improve the care of patients with CDI. The key changes to these guidelines include:
- Inclusion of specific pediatric guidelines
- Discussion on laboratory-guided diagnosis in adults
- Adding the use of fidaxomicin and benzlotoxumab for treatment and removal of metronidazole for 1st line therapy in adults.
- Discussion on fecal transplantation utilization
- Consideration of prophylaxis techniques
