2nd choice drug reduced C. diff infections by 45%

Pneumonia patients who took an antibiotic that’s typically reserved as an alternative were less likely to develop Clostridioides difficile infections compared to those taking the recommended drug, according to a study from Veterans Affairs Hospitals. 

The retrospective study analyzed 156,107 patients who were treated for pneumonia at a VA hospital between 2009 and 2022. Overall, less than 1% of pneumonia patients were diagnosed with a C. diff infection, but among those who had C. diff in the year before contracting pneumonia, 12% developed a new C. diff infection associated with their antibiotic treatment. 

Clinical guidelines recommend azithromycin, and nearly 9 in 10 of the patient cohort received the drug. Of the 13% who received doxycycline, the alternative antibiotic, the drug was associated with reducing C. diff infections by 45%. 

The researchers concluded that, if Legionella pneumonia can be ruled out, clinicians might consider doxycycline as a first-line treatment over azithromycin.