2025 ICD-10-CM code A04.7
Enterocolitis due to Clostridium difficile.
Medical necessity for treatment of C. difficile enterocolitis is established by the presence of signs and symptoms consistent with the infection, confirmed by laboratory testing.The severity of symptoms and the presence of complications will dictate the level of care required.
Diagnosis is based on symptoms, exposure history, and physical exam. Lab tests of feces can detect the bacteria. Flexible sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy can identify inflammation or perforation. Treatment involves stopping antibiotics (if possible), rehydration, other antibiotics (like metronidazole or vancomycin), probiotics, and sometimes surgery for complications.
In simple words: C. diff infection causes inflammation of the large intestine. It mainly affects people who have taken antibiotics, especially older adults in hospitals or long-term care. Symptoms include diarrhea, cramps, fever and fatigue. Severe cases can lead to serious complications like a perforated colon.
Enterocolitis (inflammation of the large intestines) due to Clostridium difficile (C. diff) occurs primarily in healthcare environments.The bacteria multiply in the colon due to prolonged antibiotic therapy killing off the “good” bacteria. C. diff can be spread from feces to food when individuals fail to wash their hands after bowel movements. Clostridium difficile is normally present in the gastrointestinal tract of babies and young people but less so in adults; the elderly are more susceptible to infection with this bacteria.
Example 1: A 70-year-old patient in a nursing home develops watery diarrhea after a course of antibiotics.A stool sample tests positive for Clostridium difficile., A 30-year-old patient with a history of inflammatory bowel disease experiences severe abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea. After testing, they are diagnosed with C. difficile enterocolitis. , A hospitalized patient receiving antibiotics for pneumonia develops mild diarrhea. A stool culture confirms C. difficile infection.
Symptoms (frequency and character of diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever), exposure history (recent antibiotic use, healthcare facility stays), laboratory results (stool culture, toxin assay), imaging findings (if any), and treatment provided.
- Specialties:Infectious Disease, Gastroenterology, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Geriatrics
- Place of Service:Inpatient Hospital, Outpatient Hospital, Skilled Nursing Facility, Nursing Facility, Home Health