Clostridioides difficile infection following dental antibiotic prescriptions in a cohort of US veterans

Among 108 (0.05% of cohort) US veterans with a Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) within 30 days of a dental antibiotic prescription, 80% of patients received guideline-discordant antibiotics. Half had chronic gastrointestinal illness potentially exacerbating their CDI risk. More efforts are needed to improve antibiotic stewardship.

Automated summary

A study found that a small proportion of US veterans developed CDI after receiving dental antibiotic prescription, and 80% of them did not receive guideline-recommended antibiotics. Half of these patients had underlying chronic gastrointestinal illnesses, which exacerbated their risk of CDI. More efforts are needed to improve antibiotic stewardship.