The risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection from the administration of different classes of antibiotics and their combinations to children in an oncological hospital

Patients in pediatric oncological hospitals are at risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The purpose of this study was to determine the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in patients who are treated with antibiotics of different classes and combinations by way of a retrospective analysis of 122 patient records. It was shown that the administration of antibacterial chemotherapeutic drugs that belong to the classes of nitrofurans (enterofuryl), sulfonamides (biseptol), cephalosporins, and macrolides/azalides significantly increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. On the contrary, treatment with antibiotics of different classes, such as linezolid, colistin, and metronidazole, significantly reduced the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection. The use of penicillins, aminoglycosides, fluoroquinolones, glycopeptides, and carbapenems was not associated with the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection in pediatric patients. The administration of one or two antimicrobial drugs of different classes increased the risk of developing a Clostridium difficile infection while a combination of three different types of antimicrobial drugs lowered the rate of this infection in pediatric patients.