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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
12:58
A Protocol to Characterize the Morphological Changes of Clostridium difficile in Response to Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: May 25, 2017
Association between antibiotic use and primary idiopathic intussusception
David M Spiro1, Donald H Arnold, Fabio Barbone
1Division of Emergency Medicine, Children's Hospital of Alabama, 1600 Seventh Ave S, Birmingham, AL 35233, USA. dspiro@peds.uab.edu
Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine
|January 9, 2003
Summary
Antibiotic use, particularly cephalosporins, is linked to a higher risk of intussusception in young children. This study identified a significant association between antibiotic exposure and this common pediatric intestinal obstruction.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Infectious Disease Epidemiology
- Clinical Pediatrics
Background:
- Intussusception is a primary cause of intestinal obstruction in infants and young children.
- Antibiotics are widely used in pediatrics and can cause gastrointestinal side effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate a potential association between antibiotic drug use and primary idiopathic intussusception in children.
- To quantify the risk of intussusception related to antibiotic exposure.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study design was employed.
- Ninety-three intussusception cases and 353 age- and sex-matched controls were analyzed.
- Conditional logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios, with NHANES III data for external comparison.
Main Results:
- Antibiotic use within 48 hours of diagnosis was significantly higher in cases (25%) than controls (9%), yielding an odds ratio of 4.15.
- Cephalosporin use showed a more than 20-fold increased risk of intussusception.
- Attributable risk for antibiotic use was 18.7%.
Conclusions:
- A clear association exists between antibiotic drug use and the occurrence of intussusception in children.
- Findings suggest a potential causal link warranting further investigation into antibiotic-associated intussusception.
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