Patients with depression or who take antidepressants have an increased risk of C. difficile infection, according to a study in BMC Medicine.
Researchers examined the hospital records of a nationally representative sample of 16,781 adults to compare self-reported depression with medical records, and also conducted a clinical investigation of 4,047 adults tested for C. difficile and interviewed about their mental health history and antidepressant use.
The results showed that the rate of C. difficile infection was 282.9 per 100,000 person-years among patients with depression, significantly higher than the rate of 197.1 per 100,000 person-years for those without.
The study also showed that patients who received common antidepressants Remeron (mirtazapine) and Prozac (fluoxetine) were twice as likely to develop a C. difficile infection.
The study is inconclusive on the direct cause of the increased infection risk.
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Researchers examined the hospital records of a nationally representative sample of 16,781 adults to compare self-reported depression with medical records, and also conducted a clinical investigation of 4,047 adults tested for C. difficile and interviewed about their mental health history and antidepressant use.
The results showed that the rate of C. difficile infection was 282.9 per 100,000 person-years among patients with depression, significantly higher than the rate of 197.1 per 100,000 person-years for those without.
The study also showed that patients who received common antidepressants Remeron (mirtazapine) and Prozac (fluoxetine) were twice as likely to develop a C. difficile infection.
The study is inconclusive on the direct cause of the increased infection risk.
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