Bloody Stools in the Emergency Room: Cefdinir-Induced Red Stools in a 7-Month-Old Male

This case report presents a 7-month-old male who was admitted to the emergency room with red-colored stools, initially raising concerns for serious gastrointestinal issues. The child, who had a history of milk protein allergy and eczema, had recently been prescribed cefdinir for an ear infection and was also consuming a hydrolyzed formula containing iron. Despite initial findings of elevated white blood cell count, mild anemia, and hyperkalemia, a stool heme-occult test was negative. The negative heme-occult lead to the consideration of cefdinir-induced stool discoloration as a possible diagnosis, a benign side effect that occurs in the presence of iron supplementation. Following the discontinuation of cefdinir, the patient's symptoms resolved completely on follow up with his pediatrician. A rare occurrence, cefdinir-induced red stool discoloration must be considered in cases of benign appearing infants with "bloody" stools.