Risk for C. diff with Common Meds

In addition to antibiotics, several medications have been implicated in altering the gut microbiome and thus contributing to Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). To explore this relationship further, researchers in Sweden utilized national patient registries to estimate the effects of drugs prescribed within 30 days on CDI risk.

This case-control study included 40,000 patients with a first CDI diagnosis between 2006 and 2019, each one matched with 10 controls of the same age and sex who filled a prescription during the study period. Most infections (92%) were hospital-acquired (i.e., occurring during or within 4 weeks of hospitalization).