A patient recently began receiving clindamycin [Cleocin] to treat an infection. After 8 days of treatment, the patient reports having 10 to 15 watery stools per day. What will the nurse tell this patient?

Question

a. The provider may increase the clindamycin dose to treat this infection.
b. This is a known side effect of clindamy-cin, and the patient should consume extra fluids.
c. The patient should stop taking the clin-damycin now and contact the provider immediately.
d. The patient should try taking Lomotil or a bulk laxative to minimize the diarrheal symptoms.

Answer 1

C
Clostridium difficile–associated diarrhea (CDAD) is the most severe toxicity of clindamycin; if severe diarrhea occurs, the patient should be told to stop taking clindamycin immediately and to contact the provider so that treatment with vancomycin or metronidazole can be initiated. In-creasing the dose of clindamycin will not treat this infection. Consuming extra fluids while still taking the clindamycin is not correct, because CDAD can be fatal if not treated. Taking Lomotil or bulk laxatives only slows the transit of the stools and does not treat the cause.