2024, Annus Horribilus

People who have a severe C. difficile infection tend to lose too much bodily fluid, a condition called dehydration. They might need to be treated in a hospital for dehydration. C. difficile infection can cause the colon to become inflamed. It sometimes can form patches of raw tissue that can bleed or make pus. Symptoms of severe infection include:

Watery diarrhea as often as 10 to 15 times a day.
Belly cramping and pain, which may be severe.
Fast heart rate.
Loss of fluids, called dehydration.
Fever.
Nausea.
Increased white blood cell count.
Kidney failure.
Loss of appetite.
Swollen belly.
Weight loss.
Blood or pus in the stool.
C. difficile infection that is severe and sudden can cause the colon to become inflamed and get larger, called toxic megacolon. And it can cause a condition called sepsis where the body's response to an infection damages its own tissues. People who have toxic megacolon or sepsis are admitted to an intensive care unit in the hospital. But toxic megacolon and sepsis aren't common with a C. difficile infection.