Reduction of C-Difficile Infection Using Stool Transplant

Clostridium-difficile (C-difficile) is a gram positive anaerobic spore-forming bacterium that can lead to severe diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis. According to Schroeder (2005), there are approximately 3 million cases annually with a mortality rate of 1-2.5 %. It is most often associated with overuse of antibiotics. According to Bartlett \& Gerding (2008), 15-25% of anti-microbial-associated diarrhea is caused by C-difficile. The purpose of this study is to determine if donor fecal microbiota transplant via colonoscopy reduces refractory C-difficile infection better than current routine methods such as continued antibiotic treatment. Specifically, we hypothesize that fecal microbiota transplant via colonoscopy will result in a higher C-difficile cure rate in affected patients versus care as usual in a retrospective cohort.