The risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection from the administration of different classes of antibiotics and their combinations to children in an oncological hospital

Abstract

Patients in pediatric oncological hospitals are at risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in patients who are treated with antibiotics of different classes and their combinations by way of a retrospective analysis of 122 patient records. It was shown that the administration of antibacterial chemotherapeutic drugs that belong to the classes of nitrofurans (enterofuryl), sulfonamides (biseptol), cephalosporins, and macrolides/azalides significantly increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. On the contrary, treatment with antibiotics of different classes, such as linezolid, colistin, and metronidazole, significantly reduced the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The use of penicillins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, and carbapenems was not associated with the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. The administration of one or two antimicrobial drugs of different classes increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection while a combination of three different types of antimicrobial drugs lowered the rate of this infection in pediatric patients.