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Updated: May 29, 2026
12:58
A Protocol to Characterize the Morphological Changes of Clostridium difficile in Response to Antibiotic Treatment
Published on: May 25, 2017
Antimicrobial use and risk for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection.
Dimitri M Drekonja1, William H Amundson, Douglas D Decarolis
1Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Minneapolis, Mn, USA. drek0002@umn.edu
The American Journal of Medicine
|September 28, 2011
Summary
Using antibiotics after Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) treatment is common and increases the risk of recurrence. Clinicians should carefully consider the necessity of non-CDI antibiotics following CDI to mitigate this risk.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Microbiology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Antimicrobial use during and after Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is discouraged but not well-quantified.
- The impact of non-CDI antimicrobial therapy on CDI recurrence remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency of non-CDI antimicrobial use during and after CDI treatment.
- To assess the association between non-CDI antimicrobial use and recurrent CDI.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of 246 Clostridium difficile infection cases at a Veterans Affairs medical center (2004-2006).
- Outcomes assessed included non-CDI antimicrobial use during and within 30 days post-treatment, and CDI recurrence.
Main Results:
- 57% of patients received non-CDI antimicrobials; 33% received them after CDI treatment.
- Non-CDI antimicrobial therapy after CDI treatment was significantly associated with a 3-fold increase in recurrent CDI (OR 3.02; 95% CI, 1.66-5.52).
- Antimicrobial use during CDI treatment did not show an association with recurrence.
Conclusions:
- Post-CDI non-CDI antimicrobial therapy is frequent and significantly elevates the risk of disease recurrence.
- The increased risk of recurrence associated with antimicrobial exposure warrants careful consideration when prescribing non-CDI antibiotics after CDI.
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