Hold Your Nose, Swallow: Frozen Fecal Pill for Diarrhea
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Frozen fecal matter that’s swallowed like a pill appears effective against a recurring and sometimes deadly bacterial infection that can cause devastating diarrhea, a study from Boston researchers found.
A trial of the approach involving 20 people with hard-to-treat C. difficile infections yielded a success rate of 90 percent, with no sign of relapse during the two-month study. Patients took 15 pills on two consecutive days of specially prepared fecal matter that was collected from healthy donors. Fourteen saw immediate improvement, while four others needed a second cycle one week later, the study showed.