Reported Reactions

Adverse event reports that FDA received

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Clostridium difficile colitis adverse event reports that record this term

Kind of term
MedDRA preferred term
Plain meaning
a bowel infection with C. difficile

What a report is

A report is not proof that the drug was the cause of the event.

FDA says:

Adverse event reports submitted to FDA do not undergo extensive validation or verification. Therefore, a causal relationship cannot be established between product and reactions listed in a report. While a suspected relationship may exist, it is not medically validated and should not be the sole source of information for clinical decision making or other assumptions about the safety or efficacy of a product. Additionally, it is important to remember that adverse event reports represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product. Common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product.

Source: openFDA, Drug Adverse Event Overview, section "Responsible use of the data". The site read the page on . The data have the reports that FDA received through .

FDA also says:

There is no certainty that the reported event (adverse event or medication error) was actually due to the product. FDA does not require that a causal relationship between a product and event be proven, and reports do not always contain enough detail to properly evaluate an event. The information in these reports has not been scientifically or otherwise verified as to a cause and effect relationship and cannot be used to estimate the incidence of these events.

Source: openFDA, Drug Adverse Event Overview. The site read the page on .

Do not rely on openFDA to make decisions regarding medical care. While we make every effort to ensure that data is accurate, you should assume all results are unvalidated.

Source: openFDA, Response of the drug event API (meta.disclaimer). The site read the page on .

Not medical advice. This site counts what was reported to FDA. Questions about a medicine or device belong with a pharmacist or clinician.

Reports on file

From October 2005 to June 2026, FDA received 10,478 adverse event reports that record the MedDRA preferred term Clostridium difficile colitis. In plain words, the term means: a bowel infection with C. difficile. The person who codes a report selects the term that agrees best with the description of the reporter.

FDA received 631 reports in the 12 months to June 2026 and 599 in the 12 months before. FDA releases FAERS data every quarter, so the newest months are not complete. They grow in later releases.

By reports in the 12 months to June 2026, this term was number 857 of 1,436 reaction terms with a page. Of the 1,332,454 drug reports that FDA received in the 12 months to June 2026, 631 (under 0.1%) record this term. Reports for patients 75 and over were 19% of the reports that record this term and 9.5% of all drug reports.

The number of people who use the product is not in the data. A count is not a rate.

MedDRA

The Medical Dictionary for Regulatory Activities. The person who codes a report selects the preferred term that agrees best with the description of the reporter. FDA does not publish the description.

Plain meaning

A bowel infection with C. difficile. The words are from the fixed dictionary of this site. They add nothing to a report.

Data version

openFDA FAERS release of 29 Oct 2026. Reports received through 30 Jun 2026.

Drugs in these reports

The table has the 108 drug pages with 50 or more reports that record this term. The rows are in order of name. A drug page with fewer reports for this term is not in the table. The counts are the counts that the site keeps for each reaction term, and a count can be lower than the count of FDA.

FDA says:

Additionally, it is important to remember that adverse event reports represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product. Common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product.

Source: openFDA, Drug Adverse Event Overview. The site read the page on .

Importantly, the AEMS data by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic.

Source: FDA, FDA Adverse Event Monitoring System (AEMS) Public Dashboard. Content current as of . The site read the page on .

Drugs that the reports with the term Clostridium difficile colitis name as a suspect product, in order of name
DrugClassReports with this term
AdalimumabTumor necrosis factor blocker96
AlemtuzumabCD52-directed cytolytic antibody53
AllopurinolXanthine oxidase inhibitor88
AmikacinAminoglycoside antibacterial70
AmoxicillinPenicillin-class antibacterial194
Amoxicillin Clavulanic Acid62
Asparaginase209
AugmentinPenicillin-class antibacterial90
Avelox60
AzacitidineNucleoside metabolic inhibitor63
AzathioprinePurine antimetabolite91
AzithromycinMacrolide antimicrobial66
BactrimDihydrofolate reductase inhibitor antibacterial73
Bendamustine56
BenicarAngiotensin 2 receptor blocker102
Benicar HCTThiazide diuretic67
Bisoprololbeta-Adrenergic blocker52
BortezomibProteasome inhibitor73
BusulfanAlkylating drug98
CarboplatinPlatinum-based drug269
CefazolinCephalosporin antibacterial125
CefepimeCephalosporin antibacterial82
CefotaximeCephalosporin antibacterial53
CeftazidimeCephalosporin antibacterial58
CeftriaxoneCephalosporin antibacterial198
CefuroximeCephalosporin antibacterial81
CephalexinCephalosporin antibacterial53
Cholecalciferol60
Ciclosporin65
CiprofloxacinFluoroquinolone antibacterial398
CisplatinPlatinum-based drug144
ClarithromycinMacrolide antimicrobial85
ClindamycinLincosamide antibacterial215
CyclophosphamideAlkylating drug774
CyclosporineCalcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant244
CytarabineNucleoside metabolic inhibitor540
Daunorubicin230
Daunorubicin hydrochlorideAnthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor110
DexamethasoneCorticosteroid600
Dificid87
DocetaxelMicrotubule inhibitor68
DoxorubicinAnthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor207
Doxorubicin hydrochlorideAnthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor132
DoxycyclineTetracycline-class drug61
EnbrelTumor necrosis factor blocker73
ErtapenemPenem antibacterial59
EtoposideTopoisomerase inhibitor582
Fasturtec69
FilgrastimLeukocyte growth factor308
FlagylNitroimidazole antimicrobial86
FluconazoleAzole antifungal71
FludarabineNucleoside metabolic inhibitor160
FluorouracilNucleoside metabolic inhibitor72
Folinic Acid96
FosamaxBisphosphonate78
FurosemideLoop diuretic116
GemcitabineNucleoside metabolic inhibitor51
Humira219
HydrocortisoneCorticosteroid211
IfosfamideAlkylating drug58
ImbruvicaKinase inhibitor61
InfliximabTumor necrosis factor blocker126
LansoprazoleProton pump inhibitor87
LenalidomideThalidomide analog85
Leucovorin111
Leucovorin calciumFolate analog53
LevofloxacinFluoroquinolone antibacterial209
LinezolidOxazolidinone antibacterial83
MelphalanAlkylating drug85
MercaptopurineNucleoside metabolic inhibitor245
MeropenemPenem antibacterial236
MesnaCytoprotective agent70
MethotrexateFolate analog metabolic inhibitor550
Methotrexate sodiumFolate analog metabolic inhibitor74
MethylprednisoloneCorticosteroid326
Methylprednisolone sodium succinateCorticosteroid67
Metoclopramide hydrochlorideDopamine-2 receptor antagonist56
MetronidazoleNitroimidazole antimicrobial372
Mycamine73
Mycophenolate mofetilAntimetabolite immunosuppressant336
NivolumabProgrammed death Receptor-1 blocking antibody76
OmeprazoleProton pump inhibitor143
OncasparAsparagine-specific enzyme126
OndansetronSerotonin-3 receptor antagonist70
OxaliplatinPlatinum-based drug81
PaclitaxelMicrotubule inhibitor110
PantoprazoleProton pump inhibitor123
PegaspargaseAsparagine-specific enzyme141
Piperacillin and tazobactamPenicillin-class antibacterial139
Piperacillin sodium,tazobactam sodium168
PomalystThalidomide analog59
Potassium51
PrednisoloneCorticosteroid208
PrednisoneCorticosteroid720
RemicadeTumor necrosis factor blocker114
RevlimidThalidomide analog406
RituximabCD20-directed cytolytic antibody319
Rocephin78
TacrolimusCalcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant372
ThiotepaAlkylating drug73
TysabriIntegrin receptor antagonist100
VancomycinGlycopeptide antibacterial297
VedolizumabIntegrin receptor antagonist104
VelcadeProteasome inhibitor111
VenetoclaxBCL-2 inhibitor91
Vincristine286
Vincristine sulfateVinca alkaloid268
Zinecard86

The page of each drug has the count of each reaction term in its reaction lookup.

Drug classes in these reports

The table has the 40 pharmacologic classes with 100 or more reports that record this term. The rows are in order of name.

FDA says:

Additionally, it is important to remember that adverse event reports represent a small percentage of total usage numbers of a product. Common products may have a higher number of adverse events due to the higher total number of people using the product.

Source: openFDA, Drug Adverse Event Overview. The site read the page on .

Importantly, the AEMS data by themselves are not an indicator of the safety profile of the drug or biologic.

Source: FDA, FDA Adverse Event Monitoring System (AEMS) Public Dashboard. Content current as of . The site read the page on .

Pharmacologic classes of the drugs that the reports with the term Clostridium difficile colitis name, in order of name
ClassReports with this term
Alkylating drug1,173
Aminoglycoside antibacterial133
Angiotensin 2 receptor blocker122
Anthracycline topoisomerase inhibitor464
Antimetabolite immunosuppressant413
Asparagine-specific enzyme269
Azole antifungal112
BCL-2 inhibitor111
Bisphosphonate120
Calcineurin inhibitor immunosuppressant675
CD20-directed cytolytic antibody410
Cephalosporin antibacterial781
Corticosteroid2,285
Dihydrofolate reductase inhibitor antibacterial136
Endothelin receptor antagonist118
Fluoroquinolone antibacterial659
Folate analog metabolic inhibitor638
Glycopeptide antibacterial321
Integrin receptor antagonist251
Janus kinase inhibitor142
Kinase inhibitor380
Leukocyte growth factor328
Lincosamide antibacterial272
Loop diuretic127
Macrolide antimicrobial158
Microtubule inhibitor202
Nitroimidazole antimicrobial468
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug103
Nucleoside metabolic inhibitor1,256
Penem antibacterial329
Penicillin-class antibacterial515
Platinum-based drug494
Programmed death Receptor-1 blocking antibody197
Proteasome inhibitor265
Proton pump inhibitor481
Serotonin-3 receptor antagonist102
Thalidomide analog567
Topoisomerase inhibitor621
Tumor necrosis factor blocker507
Vinca alkaloid292

A class with many reports in all has many reports for almost every term.

Reports by month

Reports that record Clostridium difficile colitis, by month, five years to June 2026
05010020222023202420252026

FDA releases FAERS data every quarter, so the newest months are not complete. They grow in later releases.

Patients in these reports

Age of the patient in the reports that record Clostridium difficile colitis
AgeReportsShareShare as a bar
Under 21141.1%
2 to 113643.5%
12 to 171721.6%
18 to 441,17411.2%
45 to 642,37722.7%
65 to 741,77817%
75 and over1,98719%
Age not given2,51224%
Sex of the patient in the reports that record Clostridium difficile colitis
SexReportsShareShare as a bar
Female5,21849.8%
Male4,08038.9%
Unknown or not given1,18011.3%

Age and sex are as the report gives them. 53.6% of these reports give the United States as the country.

Terms near this one

Official pages

The site checked these addresses on . The links open in a new tab.

Cite this page

Reported Reactions. Clostridium difficile colitis: adverse event reports that record this term. https://reportedreactions.com/reaction/clostridium-difficile-colitis/ Source: U.S. Food and Drug Administration, openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) files, release of . Reports received through .

Where the data come from

The counts come from the openFDA Drug Adverse Event (FAERS) bulk files, release of 29 Oct 2026. The files have the reports that FDA received through 30 Jun 2026. A drug name is the name on the report. The site matches it to a brand name or a generic name of the National Drug Code Directory of 2 Nov 2026. A class is the pharmacologic class (EPC) of the FDA label.

The count has the reports with each spelling of one MedDRA preferred term. The site does not publish a report narrative, a lot number, a detail of a patient or the identity of a reporter. The record of FDA is the authority. See how the site counts reports, the data sources and the corrections page.

Questions

What does Clostridium difficile colitis mean in an adverse event report?

In plain words: a bowel infection with C. difficile. It is a MedDRA preferred term. FDA codes the description of a reporter with the MedDRA dictionary. The openFDA files do not have the description itself, and this site does not show it.

Does a drug in the table mean that the drug was responsible for this reaction?

No. FDA says:

No individual drug is connected to any individual reaction.

Source: openFDA, Drug Adverse Event Overview. The site read the page on .

When a report lists multiple drugs and multiple reactions, there is no way to conclude from the data therein that a given drug is responsible for a given reaction.

Source: openFDA, Drug Adverse Event Overview. The site read the page on .

What does this page tell a person who has this symptom?

This page gives counts of reports. It cannot assess a person. A pharmacist or a clinician can assess a person.

If this is a medical emergency, please call 911.

Source: FDA, MedWatch Online Voluntary Reporting Form. The site read the page on .