Daptomycin-Associated Diarrhea: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) describes any unexplained diarrhea associated with the use of antibiotics. AAD develops through diverse mechanisms, ranging from pharmacologic effects on gut motility to disturbance of the function and carbohydrate metabolism of the indigenous intestinal flora and overgrowth by pathogenic micro-organisms. Clostridioides difficile-associated diarrhea (CDAD) is a subset of AAD; however, it accounts only for a small percentage of diarrhea caused by antibiotics. Diarrhea has been reported as a side effect of daptomycin use, nevertheless, it's thought to be mild and carries significantly less risk of diarrhea than other alternative treatments of S. aureus bacteremia, i.e., vancomycin or cefazolin. The authors present an interesting case of daptomycin-associated diarrhea presenting with a protracted and severe course. Patient symptoms didn’t improve with empiric Clostridioides difficile therapy and CDAD testing was negative. Diarrhea promptly resolved after discontinuation of daptomycin. Furthermore, a thorough literature review was conducted and discussed in this article to raise awareness of this under-recognized complication. Clinicians should be mindful of daptomycin-associated diarrhea along with its presentation and treatment. Further studies are needed to identify the pathophysiology of daptomycin-associated diarrhea and other forms of AAD. Understanding their mechanism could help prevent, treat, and reduce the significant medical costs associated with antibiotic adverse events.