fecal transplants

They're not as ubiquitous as blood or sperm banks, but another kind of biological substance also sits in cold storage ready to treat desperately ill or…

Infections with C. difficile are a big problem for people in hospitals and nursing homes. An experimental treatment with spores from a harmless version of the bacterium prevented new infections.

Three weeks ago, James Kidwell, 57, lay in a bed at IU Health University Hospital, waiting to receive a procedure he hoped would beat back an invasion of…

"We've reported on this program before about fecal transplants. They’ve been shown to be an effective but complicated way to treat a stubborn infection…

The antibiotic-resistant bacteria C. difficile can be deadly. Fecal transplants often can cure infections but have a major ick factor. Capsules of fecal matter deliver the cure more politely.

When an especially nasty intestinal bug threatened 86-year-old Billie Iverson, an unusual transplant saved her. The medical solution, still experimental, was to replace her dangerous digestive bacteria with a healthier mix of microbes.

http://media.soundmedicine.org/segments/021013_full.mp3The "Sound Medicine" program for February 10How might changes in healthcare law impact the…