Outpatient antibiotics raise risk for acquiring C. difficile infection in the community

(Infectious Diseases Society of America) Outpatient antibiotic use is a primary risk factor for acquiring Clostridium difficile infection in the community, reinforcing the need for appropriate prescribing in this setting, a new study published in Open Forum Infectious Diseases confirms. The findings also suggest that a recent visit to the emergency department, independent of antibiotic use, may also be a risk factor for the infection, which can cause life-threatening diarrhea.