Faecal microbiota transplantation for severe Clostridium difficile infection in the intensive care unit

Area of Science:

• Gastroenterology
• Infectious Diseases
• Microbiome Research

Background:

• Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is a significant cause of hospital-acquired infections.
• Severe CDI cases often present challenges in treatment, especially in intensive care unit (ICU) settings.
• Standard pharmacological treatments may be insufficient for severe or refractory CDI.

Observation:

• A patient in the ICU with severe, binary toxin-positive CDI failed maximal pharmacological management.
• Faecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) was administered via gastroscopy as an adjunctive therapy.
• The patient experienced a resolution of CDI-related symptoms following FMT.

Findings:

• FMT demonstrated efficacy in resolving severe CDI symptoms when conventional therapies failed.
• This case contributes to the limited published evidence on FMT for severe CDI.
• Adjunctive FMT can be effective even when delivered via gastroscopy in critical care.

Implications:

• FMT may be a viable early treatment option for severe CDI, particularly in ICU patients.
• Expanding the use of FMT beyond recurrent CDI to severe, refractory cases could improve patient outcomes.
• Further research is warranted to establish FMT protocols for severe CDI in critical care settings.