The patient is a 60-year-old woman admitted to the stroke department with a recent history of a second course of intravenous antibiotics for aspiration pneumonia. She is febrile and complained of abdominal pain and diarrhea (bowel movements eight times in 3 hours, large volumes of greenish, liquid stool each time).
The patient's abdomen is generally tender and distend with hyperactive bowel sounds. She is febrile (38.4°C), tachycardic (113/min) and hypotensive (80/40 mmHg). The stool samples must were positive for Clostridium difficile toxin.