Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America

View all recommendations from this society

Released October 1, 2015; Revised December 2, 2019

Don’t use antibiotics in patients without convincing evidence of need. Antibiotics increase the risk of C. difficile infection and can lead to other adverse drug events.

Clostridioides (formerly Clostridium) difficile (C. difficile) infections can be life threatening illnesses and often occur when antibiotics kill normal bacteria in the intestine. Patients recovering from C. difficile infections are three times as likely to have a recurrence if they receive an antibiotic in the following month. Many of these patients are given unnecessary antibiotics – primarily for misdiagnosed urinary tract infection or pneumonia.

These items are provided solely for informational purposes and are not intended as a substitute for consultation with a medical professional. Patients with any specific questions about the items on this list or their individual situation should consult their physician.

How The List Was Created

A list of approximately 40 potential Choosing Wisely recommendations were collected from members of the SHEA Guidelines, Public Policy and Government Affairs, Antibiotic Stewardship, Education and Publications Committees. From those suggestions, a subgroup of the Guidelines Committee reviewed the list for duplicates and anonymously electronically ranked them. The top fifteen were sent to the SHEA Research Network for a separate ranking. Those that ranked in the top eight were reviewed by the Guidelines Committee for their appropriateness for the Choosing Wisely campaign, and five final recommendations were formally approved via individual member vote by the SHEA Guidelines Committee and the SHEA Board of Trustees.

For SHEA’s disclosure and conflict of interest policy, please visit www.shea-online.org.

Sources

Shaughnessy MK, Amundson WH, Kuskowski MA, DeCarolis DD, Johnson JR, Drekonja DM. Unnecessary antimicrobial use in patients with current or recent Clostridium difficile infection. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2013 Feb;34(2):109-16.

Drekonja DM, Amundson WH, Decarolis DD, Kuskowski MA, Lederle FA, Johnson JR. Antimicrobial use and risk for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection. Am J Med. 2011 Nov;124(11):1081.e1-7.

Dubberke ER, Carling P, Carrico R, Donskey CJ, Loo VG, McDonald LC, Maragakis LL, Sandora TJ, Weber DJ, Yokoe DS, Gerding DN. Strategies to prevent Clostridium difficile infections in acute care hospitals: 2014 update. Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol. 2014 Sep;35 Suppl 2:S48-65.