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Gastric medications increase risk for recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection

Date:
March 27, 2017
Source:
Mayo Clinic
Summary:
Patients who use gastric suppression medications are at a higher risk for recurrent Clostridium difficile (C-diff) infection, new research concludes. C-diff is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon.
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Researchers at Mayo Clinic have found patients who use gastric suppression medications are at a higher risk for recurrent Clostridium difficile (C-diff) infection. C-diff is a bacterium that can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea to life-threatening inflammation of the colon. The study is published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

"In our study, we found that use of gastric acid suppression medications are associated with a statistically significant increased risk of development of recurrent C-diff in patients with a prior episode of C-diff," says Sahil Khanna, M.B.B.S., a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic and senior author of the study.

Dr. Khanna says gastric suppression medications studied include proton pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole, and histamine 2 blockers, such as ranitidine, which are commonly prescribed and consumed over-the-counter medications for gastroesophageal reflux disease, peptic ulcer disease or dyspepsia.

In a systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies with 7,703 patients with C-diff, 1,525 developed recurrent C-diff. The rate of recurrent C-diff in patients with gastric suppression was 22.1 percent, compared to 17.3 percent in patients without gastric acid suppression.

Dr. Khanna urges caution in interpreting these findings due to variables not considered in the study, such as the underlying reason why the gastric acid suppressant was needed. However, he says the findings suggest that patients with C-diff who receive gastric acid suppressants may be at increased risk of C-diff recurrence. "It may be reasonable to re-evaluate the need for these medications in patients with C-diff," Dr. Khanna says.


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Materials provided by Mayo Clinic. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


Journal Reference:

  1. Raseen Tariq, Siddharth Singh, Arjun Gupta, Darrell S. Pardi, Sahil Khanna. Association of Gastric Acid Suppression With Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2017; DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.0212

Cite This Page:

Mayo Clinic. "Gastric medications increase risk for recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 27 March 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170327131212.htm>.
Mayo Clinic. (2017, March 27). Gastric medications increase risk for recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 28, 2024 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170327131212.htm
Mayo Clinic. "Gastric medications increase risk for recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection." ScienceDaily. www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170327131212.htm (accessed March 28, 2024).

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