The effect of using Fidaxomicin on recurrent Clostridium difficile infection?

Publication date: Available online 4 January 2019Source: Journal of Hospital InfectionAuthor(s): Martin Biggs, Tariq Iqbal, Elisabeth Holden, Victoria Clewer, Mark I. GarveyAbstractFidaxomicin is a macrocyclic antibiotic licensed for treating Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). In the UK, fidaxomicin is often reserved for severe CDI or recurrences. At Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, all courses of fidaxomicin during 2017/18 were reviewed. Thirty-eight patients received fidaxomicin, of which 64% patients responded to treatment when fidaxomicin was given during the first episode of a mild CDI. Conversely, all patients with recurrent CDI (rCDI) failed treatment with fidaxomicin. There were mixed results with using fidaxomicin for severe CDI, with only 42% of patients responding. Our results suggest fidaxomicin is best suited as a treatment for mild CDI during a patient’s first episode.
Source: Journal of Hospital Infection - Category: Infectious Diseases Source Type: research