Risk of C. difficile

3 patients are being discharged

amoxicillin x 5 days

cefdinir x 3 days

levofloxacin x 10 days

Whose antibiotic regimen is HIGHEST risk for C. difficile?

How did others respond?

Reveal the answer

Best Answer

3️⃣ 👩🏻‍🦰 levofloxacin x 10 days

Explanation: ALL antibiotics ⬆️ risk of C. difficile infection but risk varies across classes. Fluoroquinolones & 3rd generation cephalosporins pose a HIGHER risk compared to penicillins.

C. difficile risk increases with longer length of therapy 🗓️

C. difficile risk is 3️⃣ TIMES HIGHER in patients who receive 8-18 days vs <4 days of antibiotics 💊

When multiple antibiotic options are available, ⬇️ C. difficile risk by selecting lower risk or narrow spectrum agents and using the shortest effective duration!