Impact of empiric antibiotics for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection and associated Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) risk: Secondary analysis of the CLEAR trial.

We performed secondary analyses of a postdischarge decolonization trial of MRSA carriers that reduced MRSA infection and hospitalization by 30%. Hospitalized MRSA infection was associated with 7.9 days of non-MRSA antibiotics and CDI in 3.9%. Preventing MRSA infection and associated hospitalization may reduce antibiotic use and CDI incidence.