title: Practice of gastroenterologists in treating flaring inflammatory bowel disease patients with clostridium difficile: antibiotics alone or combined antibiotics/immunomodulators?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The optimal management of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in flaring inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients has not been defined. Limited data suggest that coadministration of immunomodulators (IM) with antibiotics (AB) results in a worse outcome. We investigated the prevalent practice among North American gastroenterologists in this scenario.
  
  
  METHODS
  A structured questionnaire presented the clinical cases of two hospitalized patients with ulcerative colitis and concomitant CDI, either with or without prior IM treatment. The questionnaire was distributed to a sample of gastroenterologists at medical centers across North America. Respondents were requested to denote their therapeutic choices for these patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The survey included 169 gastroenterologists, 122 from the US and 47 from Canada, with an average of 12 ± 10 years of experience in gastroenterology. Forty-two (25%) of the respondents were IBD experts. Seventy-seven (46%) respondents elected to add an IM in combination with AB, whereas 82/169 (54%) treated the flare with AB alone (P = NS). The rate of administering combined AB+IM was similar for the IBD experts and the non-IBD experts. Only 11% of respondents withdrew maintenance azathioprine upon the diagnosis of CDI. More IBD experts stopped azathioprine treatment compared to the non-IBD experts (12/42 versus 6/127, P < 0.001). Overall, 65% of surveyed gastroenterologists stated they believe these patients are afflicted by two simultaneous but separate disease processes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is significant disagreement among gastroenterologists on whether combination AB+IM or AB alone should be given to IBD patients with CDI-associated flares. Controlled trials are needed to investigate the optimal management approach to this clinical dilemma.
authors.affiliation: University of Chicago Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Henit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yanai
authors.forename: Geoffrey C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Oscar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lebwohl
authors.forename: Udayakumar
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Navaneethan
authors.forename: Christian D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Stone
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ghazi
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Moayyedi
authors.forename: Jeffrey
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brooks
authors.forename: Charles N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Bernstein
authors.forename: Shomron
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ben-Horin
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016360:Clostridioides difficile / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D003015:Clostridium Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005762:Gastroenterology; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010820:Physicians; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D007155:Immunologic Factors