CDI is a common, potentially serious, and expensive complication
of the use of antibiotics. RCDI occurs on average in about 20% of
CDI cases that have been treated with oral metronidazole or van-
comycin, and repeated recurrences occur frequently [12]. Treatment
of RCDI has been attempted with many different regimens
[12,20], but no regimen has proven entirely satisfactory. This case
series of 75 FMT courses adds to a rapidly growing number of
published clinical reports that have documented the effectiveness
of stool transplantation in the treatment of RCDI. The utilization of
stool, collected from a healthy donor and used to reverse the dysbiosis
caused by C. difficile, has several important advantages over
all other treatment regimens currently available. Important benefits
of FMT include high cure rates [20e22], and lower treatment
cost compared to alternative therapy choices. In fact, stool transplantation
may be relatively inexpensive when compared to the
cost of repeated courses of antimicrobial agents and hospitalizations,
as well as lost patient work and productivity during the
periods of recurrent diarrhea [23]. Furthermore, FMT avoids further
antibiotic usage that perpetuates the intestinal dysbiosis by
adversely affecting an already decimated intestinal microbiome.
Bartlett stated more than 20 years ago that “alternatives to anti-
biotic treatment of an antibiotic-induced condition are desired.”