Treatment effective for recurrent disease, research shows
TUESDAY, May 5, 2015 (HealthDay News) — Fecal transplantation appears to be a safe and effective way to combat Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection, according to a new review published in the May 5 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
The researchers looked at the findings of two randomized, controlled trials as well as 33 uncontrolled case reports involving 516 C. difficile fecal transplant patients.
The team found that in recurrent infections caused by C. difficile, the intervention is successful 85 percent of the time. Fecal transplants also helped 55 percent of patients for whom standard drug treatments didn’t work.
The conclusion: Fecal transplantation appeared to be effective while prompting few short-term side effects. But the investigators cautioned that the available data is “low-strength.” They also said there isn’t enough evidence for drafting guidelines regarding how to determine ideal donor candidates, how to identify ideal fecal-preparation methods, or how best to deliver the sourced stool to patients.
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