Sahil Khanna, MBBS, MS

The panelist discusses how recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections involve complex differential diagnosis, including persistent infection, reinfection, and other gastrointestinal conditions. Definitive diagnosis requires molecular and immunological testing of stool samples to detect toxin genes and active toxin production.

The panelist discusses how recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection significantly increases health care costs through prolonged hospitalizations, complex treatments, and elevated medical resource utilization while severely compromising patient quality of life through persistent physical symptoms, psychological distress, and substantial social disruptions.

Panelist discusses how recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection results from persistent microbiome disruption, where antibiotic-induced dysbiosis enables bacterial overgrowth and toxin production. Characterized by repeated episodes of colitis, it predominantly affects older, hospitalized patients with compromised immune systems, presenting significant clinical challenges through inflammatory complications and potential systemic spread.

The panelist discusses how early detection of recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections is critical in clinical practice because these infections can rapidly escalate patient morbidity and mortality. Recurrent C difficile infections are associated with significantly increased mortality rates, with studies showing that patients experiencing multiple infection episodes have a higher risk of complications, prolonged hospital stays, and increased health care costs. Early identification allows for prompt intervention, which can help prevent disease progression, reduce transmission risks, and implement targeted treatment strategies.