Receipt of antibiotics in hospitalized patients and risk for Clostridium difficile infection in subsequent patients who occupy the same bed.

Clostridium difficile diarrhea is a common and highly morbid health care–associated infection. This study demonstrated that when a hospitalized patient receives antibiotics, the next patient who occupies the same hospital bed is at risk for C. difficile infection. This finding highlights the importance of both antibiotic stewardship programs and environmental approaches to infection control.