C. difficile Infection Severity (IDSA/SHEA)
2017 IDSA/SHEA Clostridioides difficile infection severity classification (McDonald 2018).
Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.
Example
- WBC
- 18000
- Serum creatinine
- 1.2
Result: Severe CDI: WBC 18000 cells/uL is at or above the 15,000 threshold; creatinine 1.2 mg/dL is below 1.5.
The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.
What the result means
- Non-severe
- WBC <= 15,000 cells/uL and serum creatinine < 1.5 mg/dL.
- Severe
- WBC >= 15,000 cells/uL or serum creatinine >= 1.5 mg/dL (the guideline table prints > 1.5; this uses the standard >= 1.5 operationalization).
- Fulminant
- Hypotension or shock, ileus, or megacolon — overrides the labs. Formerly "severe-complicated".
What you enter
- WBC (cells/uL)
- Serum creatinine (mg/dL)
- Hypotension or shock [fulminant]
- Ileus [fulminant]
- Megacolon (toxic megacolon) [fulminant]
How this is calculated
McDonald LC, Gerding DN, Johnson S, et al. Clinical Practice Guidelines for Clostridium difficile Infection in Adults and Children: 2017 Update by the IDSA and SHEA. Clin Infect Dis. 2018;66(7):e1-e48. Read the source ↗
A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.