Antibiotic associated hemorrhagic colitis: The need to distinguish from Clostridium difficile colitis

Presented is a case of bloody diarrhea developing within days of taking amoxicillin-clavulanate for sinusitis; both diarrhea and bleeding subsided completely shortly after discontinuing the antibiotic. Although Clostridium difficile colitis was the initial consideration, no single test confirmed the diagnosis. This report substantiates the sporadic case reports linking hemorrhagic colitis to the use of antibiotics such as amoxicillin-clavulanate and the need to differentiate the entity from C. difficile colitis, as treatment and prognosis differ.