Misuse of antibiotics ‘can increase risk of C. difficile infection recurrence’

A study from the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center has highlighted the dangers associated with inappropriate use of antibiotics to treat C. difficile infections.

Reviewing the cases of patients with new-onset C. difficile infection, researchers found that 57 percent of subjects received additional antimicrobials during or within 30 days after their initial treatment, raising their risk of recurrent infectious diarrhoea substantially.

More than three-quarters of this group received at least one dose of unnecessary antibiotics and 26 percent of patients received antimicrobial treatment that was entirely needless.

According to the scientists, this study shows that healthcare providers need to be more aware of the risk of recurrent C. difficile with antimicrobial use and patients' previous C. difficile history, as well as which clinical conditions require this type of treatment.

Dr Megan Shaughnessy, lead researcher on the project, said: "Our findings serve as a reminder to both doctors and patients to use antibiotics only when absolutely necessary, particularly in patients with a history of C. difficile."

The emergence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria and disease strains has been identified as a major global issue by the World Health Organization, which has called on governments, doctors, pharmacists, drugmakers and patients to work together to combat the problem.