Decreasing the use of the antibiotic cephalosporin is an effective strategy for reducing healthcare facility-associated Clostridium difficile incidence over time, according to a study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
Researchers studied the effects of an antibiotic stewardship program on healthcare facility-associated C. diff infections. They conducted the study at two Nordic health centers, one where a program was implemented and one where it was not. They examined three periods: 2007, prior to the implementation of the stewardship program, 2012 and 2015.
At the center where an antibiotic stewardship program was implemented, researchers found cephalosporin use decreased by 87 percent and the number of C. diff cases per 1,000 hospital admissions decreased significantly from 2.25 in 2007 to 1.16 in 2015.
At the hospital that did not have a stewardship program, C. diff cases per 1,000 hospital admissions increased slightly from 2.09 in 2007 to 2.38 in 2015.