The purpose of this study is to gain further knowledge regarding the effectiveness of vancomycin prophylaxis in preventing Clostridium difficile infections in order to guide physicians' practices.
Recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is associated with significant morbidity, mortality and health care related costs. Up to 30% of CDI cases recur, resulting in 83,000 cases of recurrent CDI per year in the US. Although agents for primary and secondary prophylaxis for CDI including the use of probiotics, antibiotics, fecal microbiota transplantations, and newer therapies such as bezlotoxumab have been reported, there are no consensus guidelines regarding their use. In order to understand current practices regarding secondary prophylaxis for CDI, a nationwide survey to assess physician practices regarding secondary prophylaxis for CDI. A total of 246 surveys were completed. Physicians were surveyed from greater than 100 locations. Most providers (N=173, 71%) reported using secondary prophylaxis for CDI prevention. The majority (N=138, 56%) were infectious disease providers. Vancomycin (N=121, 70%) and probiotics (N=114, 66%) were most commonly used for CDI secondary prophylaxis. Of 164 respondents who used secondary prophylaxis, 29.9% (N=49) utilized it for patients with a history of CDI who were receiving antibiotics, while 54.2% (N=89), used prophylaxis for patients with a history of recurrent CDI (more than 2 episodes) receiving antibiotics. Despite the lack of guideline recommendations or definitive studies to support secondary prophylaxis for CDI, the majority of the physicians who responded to this survey are using secondary prophylaxis to prevent recurrent CDI. The purpose of our study is to determine the effectiveness of secondary prophylaxis with oral vancomycin vs. placebo for the prevention of recurrent clostridium difficile infection.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
26
Oral vancomycin 125mg twice a day prescribed for the duration of antibiotics
Matched placebo twice a day prescribed for the duration of antibiotics
Tampa General Hospital
Tampa, Florida, United States
Infectious Disease Associates of Tampa Bay
Tampa, Florida, United States
Recurrence Rate
Diagnosis of Clostridium Difficile infection to assess recurrence rates Participants will be called at the completion of systemic antibiotics and 1, 2 and 3 months thereafter to assess for recurrence. If participants were tested for C. difficile at another facility records will be obtained to confirm recurrent infection.
Time frame: 90 days
Risk factors associated clostridium difficile infection recurrences
Assess any risk factors associated development of recurrence such as age, number of clostridium difficile infections in the past, what antibiotics the patient has been exposed to, and exposure to proton pump inhibitors
Time frame: Day 0 - data will be collection upon enrollment
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