Practice of gastroenterologists in treating flaring inflammatory bowel disease patients with clostridium difficile: antibiotics alone or combined antibiotics/immunomodulators?

Background: The optimal management of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in flaring inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients has not been defined. Limited data suggest that coadministration of immunomodulators (IM) with antibiotics (AB) results in a worse outcome. We investigated the prevalent practice among North American gastroenterologists in this scenario.

Improvement of Pyoderma gangrenosum and psoriasis associated with Crohn disease with anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody.

Background: Infliximab is an anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha monoclonal antibody IgG effective in the treatment and maintenance of remission of active refractory Crohn disease and associated draining enterocutaneous fistulae. Multiple infusions of infliximab show promising results in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Currently, there is limited clinical experience with infliximab, and no published reports exist on its use in cutaneous disorders.