Which antibiotic has a risk of causing Clostridium difficile infection?

Clindamycin is recognized for its association with the risk of causing Clostridium difficile infections. This risk arises from its effect on the normal gut flora when administered, particularly in a hospital setting or during long-term use. Clindamycin can disrupt the balance of microorganisms in the intestines, allowing C. difficile, a pathogenic bacterium, to proliferate. This can result in antibiotic-associated diarrhea or more severe outcomes like pseudomembranous colitis.

In contrast, while other antibiotics listed can have various side effects, they are generally not as prominently associated with C. difficile infections. For instance, linezolid is typically reserved for resistant Gram-positive infections and does not have the same association with disrupting gut flora in the way clindamycin does. Amoxicillin, commonly used for its broad spectrum of activity, has also been implicated in some cases, but the association is much less pronounced compared to clindamycin. Metronidazole, although used to treat C. difficile infections, is not typically a cause of such infections itself. Therefore, clindamycin stands out as the antibiotic with a significant risk of leading to C. difficile infection.