New and emerging therapies for Clostridium difficile infection

Emerging therapies for Clostridium difficile infection – focus on fidaxomicin

The epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infections (CDI) has evolved during the last decades, with an increase in the reported incidence, severity of cases, and rate of mortality and relapses. These increases have primarily affected some special populations including the elderly, patients requiring concomitant antibiotic therapy, patients with renal failure, and patients with cancer. Until re...

Clostridium difficile infection: a review of current and emerging therapies.

Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection (CDI) is the most common cause of -healthcare-associated infections in US hospitals. The epidemic strain NAP1/BI/ribotype 027 accounts for outbreaks worldwide, with increasing mortality and severity. CDI is acquired from an endogenous source or from spores in the environment, most easily acquired during the hospital stay. The use of antimicrobials ...

New drugs for Clostridium difficile infection.

Clostridium difficile was originally defined as the cause of antibiotic-associated colitis in 1978. Subsequent studies have provided a nearly complete portfolio of information on the pathophysiology and management of this complication. This clinical syndrome has a known cause (toxins A and B of C. difficile), established risks (age, hospitalization, and antibiotic exposure), good diagnostic tes...

Fidaxomicin for Clostridium difficile Infection.

To the Editor: In their randomized study comparing fidaxomicin with vancomycin for Clostridium difficile infection, Louie et al. (Feb. 3 issue)1 found that substantially fewer patients in the fidaxomicin group had recurrences of C. difficile infection within 4 weeks after the conclusion of treatment. We recently reported on an observational study involving U.S. veterans in which the recurrence ...

Clostridium difficile: the emerging epidemic.