The effects of acute clostridium difficile diarrhea on fecal nitrogen content in adult hospitalized patients.

Abstract

Clostridium difficile diarrhea (CDD) is a frequent cause of hospital-associated infectious diarrhea and a common reason for nutritional consultation. Limited data are available on fecal nitrogen losses during infectious diarrhea in adults. Eleven patients with acute CDD were studied for stool volume and fecal nitrogen. The mean stool output was 630 +/− 110 g/day and fecal nitrogen 2.5 +/− 0.3 g per 24 hour period (mean +/− SEM). Fecal nitrogen loss was increased from the predicted 12.0 mg/kg BW/day to 38.0 +/− 5.9 mg/kg BW/day. Fecal nitrogen loss in CDD can be an important source of nitrogen loss and should be measured in nitrogen balance studies in such patients.