This seems like old news already, but for those who missed it, there is a promising report in the New England Journal of Medicine this week on the use of monoclonal antibodies against toxins A and B for C. difficile disease. The treatment didn’t reduce the severity or duration of the primary episode, but was associated with an impressive reduction in recurrent disease (7% in the treatment arm, 25% in the placebo arm, at the 84 day endpoint). Check out the article if you haven’t seen it, and the accompanying editorial.
Not only is this welcome news for those suffering from C. difficile disease, but it has infection prevention implications—fewer episodes of disease and fewer hospital admissions mean less transmission……
P.S. I also love any treatment that doesn't involve the prolonged use of antibiotics, or the collection and infusion of donor feces....
Friday, January 22, 2010
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I agree with Dan that we need better therapies for C. difficile. I've done several fecal transplants and although they are logistically complicated, they are quite effective. I was initially somewhat squeamish about asking patients who had failed traditional therapies if they would consider fecal transplantation, but I find that the typical response is "I'll try anything..."
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