19 Jun Acid-Suppression Medications Linked To Increased Pediatric C. diff Infections

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Daniel E. Freedberg, MD, MS
Assistant Professor of Medicine
Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases
Columbia University, New York

Medical Research: What is the background for this study?

Dr. Freedberg: Acid suppression medications are increasingly prescribed to relatively healthy children without clear indications, but the side effects of these medications are uncertain.

Medical Research: What are the main findings?

Dr. Freedberg: Acid suppression with (proton pump inhibitors ) PPIs or (histamine-2 receptor antagonists) H2RAs was associated with increased risk for C. diff infection in both infants and older children.

Medical Research: What should clinicians and patients take away from your report?

Dr. Freedberg: Increased risk for C. diff should be factored into the decision to use acid suppression medications in children.  Our findings imply that acid suppression medications alter the bacterial composition of the lower gastrointestinal tract.

Medical Research: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Dr. Freedberg:  Future studies should investigate the specific effects that acid suppression medications have on the gastrointestinal microbiome of children.

Citation:

E. Freedberg, E. S. Lamouse-Smith, J. R. Lightdale, Z. Jin, Y.-X. Yang, J. A. Abrams. Use of Acid Suppression Medication is Associated with Risk for C. difficile Infection in Infants and Children: A Population-Based Study. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2015; DOI: 10.1093/cid/civ432

[wysija_form id=”3″]

MedicalResearch.com Interview with: Daniel E. Freedberg, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Medicine, & Columbia University, Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases (2015). Acid-Suppression Medications Linked To Increased Pediatric C. diff Infections 

Last Updated on September 17, 2015 by Marie Benz MD FAAD