C-Difficile Infection Post Colonoscopy Procedure

Case Overview

This case involves a patient who underwent a colonoscopy and the patient was sent for a follow-up elective surgery to remove several suspicious polyps. The surgery was uneventful but during the 3-5 day post operative period the patient became severely sick from an infected surgical wound. The patient was taken in for an exploratory procedure and it was determined that a C-difficile infection was responsible. The patient never recovered from his initial infection and died several weeks later.

Questions to the General Surgery expert and their responses

What would have been the appropriate antibiotic regimen before, during, and after surgery for this patient?

According to the SCIP guidelines, the appropriate antibiotic for wound infection prevention is a cephalosporin along with metronidazole intravenously.

About the expert

This expert is a board-certified general surgeon who has over 25 years of experience as chief/director of surgery. He is extensively published in his field on the topic of laparoscopy as well as several articles on colonoscopy. He also holds a major medical patent, is actively involved in teaching, and serves as an editor for several medical journals.