Note: this article is provided by Ohio Northern University's HealthWise Pharmacy.
A medication to treat diarrhea associated with Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) is now approved for children.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Dificid (fidaxomicin) to treat children 6 months old and older who have diarrhea associated with C. difficile.
This medication was already approved in tablet form for adults. Now, it can be used in children.
Fidaxomicin is a type of antibiotic. It's available in tablet and suspension formulations. Both of these formulations are approved to be used in children.
C. difficile is a bacteria that causes diarrhea and colitis, which can be life-threatening.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that this type of infection leads to almost half a million illnesses in the United States each year.
If you are taking or have taken antibiotics, it is common to develop diarrhea. But in some cases, this diarrhea can be caused by C. difficile.
This type of infection can occur after taking antibiotics. That's because antibiotics wipe out good germs along with the bad germs they're targeting. The good germs protect your body from infections.
Another way this infection can occur is after staying in the hospital for a long period of time. This type of bacteria can spread easily among hospital patients.
The CDC also noted that 20 percent of patients who get C. difficile will get it again.
Common side effects in children include fever, stomach pain, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation and rash.
Speak with your health care provider if you have any questions.
