ACG Releases New Clostridioides difficile Guidelines

The American College of Gastroenterology has released new guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of Clostridioides difficile (CD) infection.

The guidelines, which update the group's 2013 guidance, are intended to complement the recently updated Infectious Disease Society of America and Society of Healthcare Epidemiologists of America guidelines.

Among the recommendations are:

• Probiotics should not be used for preventing CD infections in patients taking antibiotics.
• Probiotics should not be used for preventing CD infection recurrence.
• Oral vancomycin, 125 mg, 4 times daily for 10 days should be used to treat initial nonsevere CD infections.
• Fecal microbiota transplantation should be considered in patients with severe and fulminant CD infections that are refractory to antibiotic therapy.
• Patients with inflammatory bowel disease who present with an acute flare associated with diarrhea should be screened for CD infection.

—Michael Potts

Reference:

Kelly CR, Fischer M, Allegretti JR, et al. ACG clinical guidelines: prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Clostridioides difficile infections. Am J Gastroenterol. 2021;116(6)1124-1147. https://doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000001278