A new study at Mass General has identified an effective and noninvasive way to use fecal transplants to treat Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infections, which currently cause about 250,000 hospitalizations and 14,000 deaths each year in the U.S. The therapy, called fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), was ingested in acid-resistant capsules and was found to be as successful as more invasive methods of treatment. “The procedures that have been used before – colonoscopies, nasogastric tubes, even enemas – all have potential risks and discomforts for patients,” said Dr. Ilan Youngster, a fellow in Pediatric Infectious Diseases. “The use of capsules simplifies the procedure immensely, potentially making it accessible to a greater population.”
Posted on: Tue, 18 Nov 2014 20:39:25 +0000
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