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- Title
Breaking the cycle: treatment strategies for 163 cases of recurrent Clostridium difficile disease
- Authors
McFarland, Lynne V.; Elmer, Gary W.; Surawicz, Christina M.
- Abstract
OBJECTIVE:There is currently uncertainty as to the best treatment for patients with recurrent episodes of Clostridium difficile disease (RCDD). Our objective was to evaluate the success of treatment strategies in a cohort of 163 RCDD patients.METHODS:Data were used from patients who had participated in the placebo arm in two national referral clinical trials evaluating a new combination treatment. Patients with active RCCD were enrolled, prescribed either vancomycin or metronidazole, and randomized to either the investigational biological or a placebo. All patients were observed for at least 2 months for a subsequent episode of RCCD.RESULTS:Of the 163 cases, 44.8% recurred. A tapering course of vancomycin resulted in significantly fewer recurrences (31%, p = 0.01), as did pulsed dosing of vancomycin (14.3%, p = 0.02). A trend (p = 0.09) for a lower recurrence frequency was observed for high-dose (≥2 g/day) vancomycin and low-dose (≤1 g/day) metronidazole. Vancomycin was significantly more effective in clearing C. difficile culture and/or toxin by the end of therapy than metronidazole (89% vs 59%, respectively; p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS:These data show that tapered or pulsed dosing regimens of vancomycin may result in a significantly better cure of RCDD. The persistence of C. difficile spores suggests that additional strategies to restore the normal colonic microflora may also be beneficial.
- Subjects
CLOSTRIDIOIDES difficile; THERAPEUTICS; PLACEBOS
- Publication
American Journal of Gastroenterology (Springer Nature), 2002, Vol 97, Issue 7, p1769
- ISSN
0002-9270
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1572-0241.2002.05839.x