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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2019 Jan 23.
Published in final edited form as: Clin Med (Lond). 2018 Jun;18(3):237–241. doi: 10.7861/clinmedicine.18-3-237

Table 1. Risk factors for Clostridium difficile infection.

Risk factor Details
Antibiotics Almost all antibiotics may increase vulnerability to CDI, but cephalosporins, fluoroquinolones, clindamycin and certain penicillins (e.g. co-amoxiclav) increase risk to the greatest extent.
Acid-suppressant medications Both PPI and H2-receptor antagonists appear to increase risk (risk particularly increased with PPI).
Age Rates tenfold higher in those >65 years than those younger.
Hospitalisation

  • Recent hospitalisation, prolonged hospitalisation (> 7 days), and/ or prolonged antibiotic courses all particularly increase risk of CDI.

  • Being admitted to a room where the previous patient had CDI is itself a risk factor for infection.
Immunosuppression