“Alarming Development” – First-Line Treatment for Deadly Superbug Is Weakening

As vancomycin becomes more popular, its effectiveness diminishes.
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.