Effects of piperacillin/tazobactam on Clostridium difficile growth and toxin production in a human gut model

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a major cause of morbidity in the nosocomial environment. Antimicrobial agents such as the third-generation cephalosporins, lincosamides and aminopenicillins are well known for their propensity to induce CDI, but the definitive reasons why remain to be elucidated. Despite their broad spectrum of activity against both aerobic and anaerobic bacteria, the ureidopenicillins remain a class of antimicrobials infrequently associated with the development of CDI.