Cultured Media Containing Bacterial Flora Could Be a Better Alternative to Fecal Transplantation in Treating Recurrent Clostridium Difficile Colitis

Abstract

Over the past few years, the mainstay of treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile colitis has become fecal transplantation. Its efficacy over standard antibiotics therapy has been proven in multiple trails. However, there are inherent drawbacks in this treatment modality such as the transfer of unknown pathogens, the cost of testing and processing donor material, and the delay in onset of treatment. These obstacles may be circumvented by the clinical use of cultured media of bacterial isolates mimicking endogenous feces. We propose that such techniques have the potential to reduce the transfer of unknown pathogens to the patient, eliminating the cost of testing and processing the donor’s stool, and by allowing for earlier onset of treatment. By eradicating these pitfalls in the current treatment, future patients could further benefit from treatment with cultured media when compared to fecal transplantation.