Inappropriate antibiotic use and the development of Clostridium difficile colitis.

A three-year, retrospective, community-wide study reviewed all patients (n = 60) with positive Clostridium difficile stool cytotoxin assays. The appropriateness of antibiotic administration in hospitalized patients (n = 48) who developed antibiotic-associated colitis (AAC) was studied. Only 25 per cent had antibiotics used appropriately with positive culture results and organisms susceptible to the antibiotic(s) given. Another 25 per cent of cases had positive cultures, but the organisms were not susceptible to the antibiotics used. Cultures exhibited no growth or were not obtained in 50 per cent of cases, but empiric antibiotic administration led to the development of AAC. Our results point toward inappropriate antibiotic use as being a major factor in the development of AAC. AAC is rarely fatal but has significant morbidity, and is expensive to treat. Judicious use of antibiotics may decrease the incidence of AAC.