Evidence for low risk of Clostridium difficile infection associated with tigecycline

ABSTRACTBroad-spectrum antibiotics are often associated with a relatively high risk of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). However, exceptions to this rule, e.g., piperacillin–tazobactam, show that marked inhibition of gut flora is not synonymous with CDI risk. Tigecycline has marked broad-spectrum activity that includes Gram-positive and Gram-negative facultative and obligate anaerobes. Antibiotic susceptibility, gut model and clinical trial data suggest that tigecycline is associated with a relatively low risk of CDI. Further clinical data should be obtained to confirm the results of these initial studies.