This is a pretty amazing breakthrough. Clostridium difficile infection is associated with significant morbidtiy and mortality. Standard therapy typically includes high dose antibiotics for long periods of time and with unsatisfactory success. However, fecal transplantation (literally as it sounds) has shown dramatically improved results.
Now, in a study published on November 28th in the Journal of the American Medical Association [1], Kao et al. compared delivery of fecal microbiota by the traditional colonoscopy route compared to oral capsule delivery. The trial was designed as a randomized non-inferiority trial. Of the 57 patients randomized to the capsule group, 51 were recurrence free at 12 weeks, compared to 50 of the 59 randomized to the colonoscopy group.
It is important to note that the group studied included only individuals who had recurrent C. diff infections so results are not necessarily expected to be the same in patients who have not had a first recurrence.
Hopefully the oral capsule therapy can be standardized for manufacturing and distribution so that more patients can benefit from this breakthrough.
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I am sharing my interest and passion for medicine with the Steem community by posting brief summarizes of interesting and impactful studies.