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Clostridioides difficile in ulcerative colitis — ESEGH MCQ

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HardInflammatory Bowel DiseaseClostridioides difficile in ulcerative colitisESEGH

A hospitalised patient with UC develops a first confirmed non-life-threatening C. difficile episode after clindamycin. What antimicrobial regimen does NICE recommend first line?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: B — Vancomycin 125 mg orally four times daily for 10 days

Explanation lettering: D = shown as C · C = shown as D

B is correct. NICE uses oral vancomycin 125 mg QDS for 10 days for a first mild, moderate or severe episode. A is no longer first line and is too short; C has wrong dose/frequency/duration; D uses a route that does not deliver colonic drug and excessive dose; E is not first-line monotherapy. UC activity is reassessed alongside infection treatment.

Reference: NICE NG199 C. difficile antimicrobial prescribing: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng199/chapter/Recommendations