Potential impact of removing metronidazole from treatment armamentarium of mild acute Clostridioides difficile infection

Aim: Recent guidelines recommended removing metronidazole as a therapeutic option for Clostridioides difficile infections (CDI). However, superiority of vancomycin over metronidazole in mild CDI is not established and use of vancomycin might lead to emergence of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Patients & methods: A retrospective cohort study and efficacy analyses were conducted at Shamir Medical Center, Israel (2010-2015), among adults with acute CDI. Results: A total of 409 patients were enrolled. In multivariable analyses, metronidazole was noninferior to vancomycin for mild CDI, but vancomycin was an independent predictor for post-CDI VRE acquisition. Conclusion: A significant independent association was evident between treatment with vancomycin and, later, acquisition of VRE. In first episodes of mild acute CDI, metronidazole should be considered a valid therapeutic option.