Use of a Clostridium difficile clinical prediction rule to facilitate antimicrobial stewardship.

In this study, we assessed whether a Clostridium difficile clinical prediction rule could be used to facilitate antimicrobial stewardship in an acute care hospital. We found that patients with higher scores were more likely to receive unnecessary antimicrobials and had the greatest potential for antimicrobial stewardship interventions. This novel method has the potential to expedite antimicrobial stewardship efforts, particularly for complex patients, in health care institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]