Clostridium difficile treatment in the outpatient setting often deviates from guidelines, according to a Medscape report.
A team of researchers found both under-treatment and overtreatment of C. diff were common. The team presented its findings at the International Conference on Emerging Infectious Diseases in Atlanta, held Aug. 24 to Aug. 26.
The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the Infections Disease Society of America guidelines recommend 125 mg of vancomycin four times a day for severe CDI, according to the report.
The study authors examined C. diff patients in 11 Maryland counties from 2013 to 2014, according to the report. Of these patients, 264 received treatment in the outpatient setting. Of those patients with a severe infection:
• 70 percent received the wrong drug
• 50 percent who received the correct drug received an incorrect dose
• 20 percent who received the correct drug received the wrong frequency of treatment