A hospitalized patient develops frequent watery diarrhea after completing a course of broad-spectrum antibiotics. Stool testing confirms Clostridium difficile infection. Which medication should the nurse anticipate administering to treat this condition?

Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is commonly treated with oral vancomycin, fidaxomicin, or metronidazole. Among the options presented, vancomycin is the correct answer. When administered orally, vancomycin is poorly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract and therefore reaches high concentrations in the colon where C. difficile colonizes, effectively eradicating the organism. Current guidelines recommend oral vancomycin or fidaxomicin as first-line therapy for most CDI cases. Amoxicillin is a broad-spectrum penicillin antibiotic; it would not treat C. difficile and could worsen dysbiosis by killing more of the normal flora that help suppress C. difficile overgrowth. Ciprofloxacin is a fluoroquinolone antibiotic that has no activity against C. difficile and is actually associated with CDI risk as part of the broad-spectrum antibiotic precipitants. Erythromycin is a macrolide with limited gram-positive coverage that is not used for CDI; it is most commonly associated with treating atypical respiratory infections. Therefore, vancomycin is the correct anticipated treatment, and the nurse should prepare to administer it orally per the prescriber's order while also implementing contact precautions.