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Abstract:
Of 298 outpatients receiving clindamycin for a variety of indications, diarrhea developed in ten (3.4%); none were diagnosed as having pseudo-membranous colitis. This is well within the range of relative frequencies of diarrhea development (0% to 22.2%) reported in 45 previous studies. Reliance solely on computer-recorded instances of diarrhea yielded a substantial underestimate of diarrhea occurence, but the rate was still significantly higher (P less than .05) in clindamycin users than in nonusers.
Insights
Diarrhea occurred in 3.4% of outpatients taking clindamycin, a rate consistent with previous research. However, relying only on computer records underestimated diarrhea occurrence in clindamycin users.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Clindamycin is an antibiotic frequently prescribed for various infections.
- Diarrhea is a known potential side effect of antibiotic use.
- Previous studies report a wide range of diarrhea incidence with clindamycin.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the incidence of diarrhea in outpatients prescribed clindamycin.
- To compare diarrhea rates between clindamycin users and non-users.
- To assess the accuracy of computer-recorded data for diarrhea occurrence.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 298 outpatients receiving clindamycin.
- Monitoring for diarrhea development and diagnosis of pseudo-membranous colitis.
- Comparison of diarrhea rates between antibiotic users and non-users.
- Evaluation of computer-recorded data versus actual occurrence.
Main Results:
- Diarrhea developed in 3.4% of patients taking clindamycin.
- No cases of pseudo-membranous colitis were diagnosed.
- Computer-recorded diarrhea instances significantly underestimated actual occurrence.
- Diarrhea rates were significantly higher in clindamycin users (P < .05).
Conclusions:
- Clindamycin use is associated with a higher incidence of diarrhea compared to non-users.
- Accurate monitoring of antibiotic-associated diarrhea requires methods beyond computer-recorded data.
- The incidence of diarrhea in this cohort falls within previously reported ranges.