Gastric suppression medication use increases risk of recurrent Clostridium difficile infection, according to a study conducted by Rochester, Minn.-based researchers and published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The researchers examined the effect of gastric suppression medications on C. diff recurrence. The medications studied included:
● Proton pump inhibitors, such as omeprazole
● Histamine 2 blockers, such as ranitidine
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These over-the-counter drugs are commonly prescribed. The researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of 16 studies with 7,703 patients suffering from C. diff.
Of the 7,703 patients, 1,525 developed recurrent C. diff. The rate of recurrent C. diff in patients using gastric suppression drugs was 22.1 percent, as compared to 17.3 percent in patients who were not using the medications.
"It may be reasonable to re-evaluate the need for these medications in patients with C. diff," said Sahil Khanna, MBBS, a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic and senior author of the study.