Wednesday, August 10, 2011

fun with poop

WARNING GROSS BLOG POST AHEAD

Here's one I haven't heard of before: fecal transplant. Yes, you read right - FECAL TRANSPLANT

We all know about c diff right? It can be really, really bad and unresponsive to antibiotics and make life generally hellish for those who have it. Fecal transplant is being used to fix it.

People with healthy bowels do their business and their business is examined for any bad guys like parasites and naughty germs. Healthy business is full of good intestinal bacteria that can get rid of bad intestional bacteria.

It is given in the form of an enema or can be given via nasojejunal tube. It is put in a blender, liquefied with saline and given. The thing is it apparently really works

I have two things to say about this: 1) do the people donating the poop get monetary compensation? How much? 2) the day I would have to do this, I quit.

8 comments:

  1. Did a short paper on this for a class recently...during the ensuing discussion on it- it was the majority of us (all nurses) who would take the treatment if it would cure us and nothing else was working, but would prefer the enema version, or deep sedation for the NG version.

    Also, most of us agreed that we wouldn't want to be the one to administer it. This is one time where I think it perfectly fine for the MD to give the treatment...

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  2. Anonymous12:02 AM

    This way seems much less icky...from Wikipedia

    "A modified form of fecal bacteriotherapy is being developed (Autologous Restoration of Gastrointestinal Flora - ARGF).[3] which is safer, more effective and easier to administer. An autologous faecal sample, provided by the patient before medical treatment, is stored in a refrigerator. Should the patient subsequently develop C. difficile the sample is extracted with saline and filtered. The filtrate is freeze dried and the resulting solid enclosed in enteric coated capsules. Administration of the capsules will restore the patient's own colonic flora and combat C. difficile. This procedure will avoid the hazards of standard FB where infection from the donor could be transmitted to the patient and the requirement to deliver faecal samples into the duodenum via a nasal probe."

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  3. Do they still use sterile technique?

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  4. Anonymous5:19 PM

    A fellow student performed one in clinical two quarters ago. Stool was given by the husband (people living the same household have the same stuff in their poo) and mixed with saline and transplanted via enema.

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  5. Anonymous2:47 AM

    You might be able to talk a few irate patients/family members into donating...

    Just drug check it so you c diff patients don't OD.

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  6. my daughter had toxic Mega colon caused by CDIFF after brain surgery. It almost killed her. We insisted on fecal transplant (her dad's poop) delivered by esphogial tube the first time and colon scope the second and third time. It saved her life and her colon. They had never seen a patient so sick get better. It works and although it sounds gross, it's a whole lot better than toxic mega colon. There will be a USA today article about the whole business coming out this month. I had to do my own research and convince the doctors but it was worth every minute and every poop container we went through.

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  7. Anonymous6:51 PM

    Despite this, there are some disadvantages to this method. Obviously the barista still has to pre-load and tamp the basket in the usual manner before executing the brew cycle. actuality, I was manifesting all the lack in my life, because I In many areas of the country, this means that running an electric system costs more on a monthly basis than oil or gas.

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