Fecal Microbiota Transplant and Its Evolving Medical Uses

Following the spectacular results of a randomised study publicised in last week's New England Medical Journal by van Nood et al. (The Netherlands), The Gastroenterological Society of Australia spokesperson, Associate Professor Jane Andrews has declared fecal microbiota transplantation to be "The Ultimate Probiotic".   "Fecal transplantation for recurrent C.difficile has now got very good evidence behind it" she remarked in the Australian "Gastroenterology update".  The Australian society has changed their previous view in which they had considered fecal transplant to be unsafe and warned against it's use, and are now looking at setting up a state-based service at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in South Australia next year.  The article stated that fecal microbiota transplantation had become mainstream in many centres (overseas).  This is very exciting news for those suffering from the incredibly debilitating and potentially deadly symptoms of cl...

The results of a randomized controlled study has been published in the New England Journal of Medicine this week which showed a 94% cure rate for clostridium difficile as opposed to 31% of patients taking the antibiotic vancomycin. The study was stopped prematurely becase the results were so outstanding for those who were given fecal transplant that it was considered to be unethical not to offer the treatment to all patients participating in the study. Read more below courtesy of the New England Journal.nbsp;  Here is a link to the study: Duodenal Infusion of Donor Feces for Recurrent Clostridium difficile — NEJM and a link to the editorial written by Ciarán P. Kelly, M.D. Fecal Microbiota Transplantation — An Old Therapy Comes of Age — NEJM "Fecal Microbiota Transplantation — An Old Therapy Comes of Age Ciarán P. Kelly, M.D. January 16, 2013 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMe1214816 In 1958, doctors in Denver administered feces by enema to their patients with fulminant, life-...