March 31, 2010- Produced and interviewed by Steven E. Greer, MD
New drugs have been developed to treat the growing problem of C. diff colitis. They focus on the problem of newer virulent strains of clostridium difficile that are resistant to most antibiotics, but is that the proper or only approach?
More patients are becoming chronically infected by C. Diff and require lifelong vancomycin. Is something else other than a super virulent organism causing this problem? Is antibiotic usage altering the normal GI tract microbiota rendering these patients susceptible to recurrent bouts of C. diff colitis?
Infectious disease specialist, Dr. Vincent Young, MD PhD of the university of Michigan, discusses these issues.