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[Implantation of Clostridium difficile in infants during antibiotherapy]
Insights
Antibiotic use in infants does not significantly impact Clostridioides difficile colonization. This study found similar colonization rates in both antibiotic-treated and untreated newborns, suggesting independence from antibiotic exposure.
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Neonatal Research
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Antibiotics are known to promote Clostridioides difficile colonization in adults.
- The effect of antibiotics on C. difficile colonization in infants is less understood.
- Hospitalized newborns represent a vulnerable population for intestinal colonization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the influence of antibiotic treatment on C. difficile colonization in hospitalized infants.
- To compare C. difficile colonization rates between infants receiving beta-lactam antibiotics and those not treated with antibiotics.
- To assess the antimicrobial susceptibility of C. difficile strains isolated from these infant groups.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of hospitalized newborns from birth.
- Twice-weekly screening for C. difficile in intestinal tracts.
- Division of infants into two groups: antibiotic-naïve and beta-lactam treated.
- Isolation and identification of C. difficile using selective media and biochemical tests.
- Antimicrobial susceptibility testing via broth dilution and disk-elution methods.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in C. difficile colonization rates between groups (41% treated vs. 46% untreated).
- Similar antimicrobial susceptibility profiles observed for C. difficile strains from both groups.
- Environmental and dietary factors within the study context appeared to be more influential than antibiotic treatment.
Conclusions:
- Infant intestinal colonization by C. difficile appears independent of antibiotic treatment under the studied conditions.
- Beta-lactam antibiotic exposure did not significantly alter C. difficile colonization rates in hospitalized newborns.
- Further research may be needed to elucidate factors influencing C. difficile colonization in neonates.
Abstract:
In the adults, it is known that antibiotics allow colonization by C. difficile and its multiplication, in infants this facts is discussed. To study the influence of antibiotic treatment on the colonization of infants' intestinal tract by C. difficile, we searched this bacteria twice a week in hospitalized newborns since their birth. The population was divided in 2 groups: one never received any antibiotic, the other was treated with beta-lactams. C. difficile was isolated on appropriated selective media, and identified by biochemical and enzymatic characters. The antimicrobial susceptibility of the isolated strains was determined by broth dilution method and by broth disk-elution method. In the 2 groups the results did not significantly differ: the colonization rates are 41% in the treated group and 46% in the untreated one. The susceptibility of the strains to the tested antibiotics was similar in the 2 groups. In the environmental and dietetic conditions of our study, the infants' colonization by C. difficile seems to be independent of the antibiotic treatment.