Objective:

To identify risk factors for recurrent antibiotic administration after fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) in patients with recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI), emphasizing the importance of these factors for improving patient outcomes.

Key Findings:

• Immunocompromised status (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1–4.4, P = .02) is a significant risk factor for non-CDI antibiotic use post-FMT.
• Patients with more than 3 non-CDI antibiotic courses pre-FMT had an increased risk (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.4–6.8, P = .006).
• Prior hospitalization for CDI also increased risk (OR 2.0, 95% CI 1.1–3.8, P = .02).
• Common reasons for non-CDI antibiotic use included urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, and procedure prophylaxis.

Interpretation:

Non-CDI antibiotic exposure significantly increases the risk of CDI recurrence post-FMT, highlighting the need for targeted prevention strategies in at-risk patients, such as tailored antibiotic stewardship.

Limitations:

• The study did not calculate a formal sample size, which may affect the robustness of findings; further research is needed to validate these results.
• Data collection relied on follow-up visits, which may introduce bias if patients were lost to follow-up, potentially skewing the results.

Conclusion:

Identifying patients at risk for post-FMT antibiotic use can inform strategies to prevent recurrent CDI, such as enhanced monitoring and alternative treatment options.