Recent research indicates that vancomycin, a key antibiotic for treating C. difficile, is becoming less effective, raising concerns about treatment efficacy and the potential return to a pre-antibiotic era. New research from the University of Houston College of Pharmacy suggests that vancomycin, commonly prescribed as the first-line treatment for C.
difficile infections, may not be as effective as previously thought. C. diff infection is the leading cause of death due to gastroenteritis in the U.
S. It causes gastrointestinal symptoms ranging from diarrhea and abdominal pain to toxic megacolon, sepsis, and death. Based on 2018 clinical practice guidelines, the use of oral vancomycin has increased by 54% in the past six years, but the clinical cure rates have decreased from nearly 100% in the early 2000s to around 70% in contemporary clinical trials.
Anne J. Gonzales-Luna, research assistant professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice and Translational Research, University of Houston College of Pharmacy, is reporting the weakening of vancomycin to treat the deadly superbug C. diff.
Credit: University of Houston Research Findings on Vancomycin Resistance “Despite the increasing prevalence of data showing reduced effectiveness of vancomycin, there is a significant lack of understanding regarding whether antimicrobial resistance to these strains may affect the clinical response to vancomycin therapy,” reports Anne J. Gonzales-Luna, research assistant professor in the Depa.