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Background.  The optimal therapy for critically ill patients with Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is not known. We aimed to evaluate mortality among critically ill patients with CDI who received oral vancomycin (monotherapy) vs oral vancomycin with intravenous (IV) metronidazole (combination therapy).

Methods.  A single-center, retrospective, observational, comparative study was performed. Patients with a positive C. difficile assay who received oral vancomycin while bedded in an intensive care unit (ICU) between June 2007 and September 2012 were evaluated. Patients meeting ≥3 of the following criteria were included: albumin <2.5 g/dL, heart rate >90 bpm, mean arterial pressure <60 mmHg, white blood cell count ≥15 000 cells/mL, age >60 years, serum creatinine ≥1.5 times baseline, or temperature ≥100.4°F. Patients in the combination therapy group …