Several drugs that are commonly prescribed to children increase the risk of community-acquired Clostridium difficile infection, according to an analysis of over 1,300 children in the US military health system database. Investigators made the following observations:

• Fluoroquinolones, clindamycin, third-generation cephalosporins, proton pump inhibitors, and several classes of antibiotics were linked to the subsequent diagnosis of the infection.
• Children who were cared for at an outpatient clinic were 35% more likely to develop C. difficile, when compared to controls.
• As expected, exposure to family members with the infection also increased the risk.