Antibiotics-associated pseudomembranous colitis: a disproportionality analysis of the US food and drug administration

Jinhua Chen1, Weijiang Yu1, Wancun Zhang2

  • 1Department of Pharmacy, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Henan Engineering Research Center for Tumor Precision Medicine and Comprehensive Evaluation, Henan Provincial Key Laboratory of Anticancer Drug Research, Zhengzhou, China.

PubMed
Abstract

Insights

This study identified antibiotics like cefoxitin, streptomycin, fosfomycin, and micafungin as having a high risk for pseudomembranous colitis (PMC). Real-world data analysis highlights potential PMC risks associated with specific antibiotic use.

Area of Science:

  • Pharmacovigilance
  • Infectious Disease Epidemiology
  • Drug Safety

Background:

  • Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) is a significant concern associated with antibiotic use.
  • Real-world data evaluation is crucial for identifying antibiotics with high PMC risk.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between specific antibiotics and pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) using real-world data.
  • To identify antibiotics with a disproportionately high risk of PMC.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the FAERS database for disproportionality analyses.
  • Enrolled 81 antibiotics meeting specific algorithmic criteria.
  • Analyzed 1683 reports of PMC associated with enrolled antibiotics.

Main Results:

  • Identified 1683 PMC reports linked to the studied antibiotics.
  • Cefoxitin, streptomycin, fosfomycin, and micafungin showed a high risk for PMC among the top 24 antibiotics.
  • These high-risk antibiotics had limited existing literature reports regarding PMC.

Conclusions:

  • The study highlights significant potential PMC risks for certain antibiotics.
  • Findings are vital for healthcare professionals to recognize and manage antibiotic-associated PMC risks.

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