Treatment issues in recurrent Clostridioides difficile infections and the possible role of germinants

Clostridioides difficile is the number one cause of hospital-acquired infections in the United States and one of the CDC's urgent-level pathogen threats. The inflammation caused by pathogenic C. difficile results in diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. Patients who undergo clinically successful treatment for this disease commonly experience recurrent infections. Current treatment options can eradicate the vegetative cell form of the bacteria but do not impact the spore form, which is impervious to antibiotics and resists conventional environmental cleaning procedures. Antibiotics used in treating C. difficile infections (CDI) often do not eradicate the pathogen and can prevent regeneration of the microbiome, leaving them vulnerable to recurrent CDI and future infections upon subsequent non-CDI-directed antibiotic therapy. Addressing the management of C. difficile spores in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract is important to make further progress in CDI treatment. Currently, no treatment options focus on reducing GI spores throughout CDI antibiotic therapy. This review focuses on colonization of the GI tract, current treatment options and potential treatment directions emphasizing germinant with antibiotic combinations to prevent recurrent disease.