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Diarrhoea - antibiotic associated - Management
What follow-up should I consider for people with antibiotic-associated diarrhoea?
Antibiotic-associated diarrhoea without Clostridium difficile infection
- No follow-up is necessary, as symptoms will resolve after cessation of the antibiotic.
- However, advise the person to seek medical advice if they develop unexplained diarrhoea within 8 weeks of stopping the antibiotic, as there is a possibility they might subsequently develop C. difficile infection.
People with C. difficile infection
- Review the person daily and monitor for signs of increasing severity of disease as they may deteriorate very rapidly (see Known C. difficile test result). Consider hospital admission if appropriate.
- Consider the possibility of post-infective bowel syndrome if the diarrhoea persists despite 20 days of treatment, and the following features are present:
- The person is stable, and
- The daily number of loose/liquid stools has decreased, and
- The white cell count is normal, and
- There is no abdominal pain or distension.
- Once recovered, advise the person to seek medical advice if they develop unexplained diarrhoea, as there is a high rate of recurrence with C. difficile infection (see Prognosis).
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