Local Gastroenterologists First in South Florida to Offer Fecal Transplant

CORAL SPRINGS, Fla., Aug. 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Digestive CARE™, a medical group of 52 gastroenterologists in Broward and Palm Beach County, today announced that they are the first gastroenterology group in South Florida to offer Fecal Transplant therapy to patients with Fulminant or Refractory Pseudomembraneous Colitis.

Pseudomembranous colitis has dramatically increased in frequency and severity over the past ten years.  Coincident with this, a dramatic increase has been seen in refractory, relapsing, and fulminant cases.  In addition, a new hypervirulent strain of C. Dif (NAP1/B!/027) has been implicated in several outbreaks since the early 2000's.  This strain may be particularly refractory to standard antibiotic treatment.  As many as 11% of patients infected with the hypervirulent strain of C. Dif may experience complications including shock, need for colectomy, megacolon, perforation and even death within a 30 day period.  Gastroenterologists have all experienced diminishing returns with standard antibiotic protocols.

Fecal bacteriotherapy (i.e. fecal transplant) involves instillation of healthy donor stool via colonoscope, enema, or nasojejunal tube into the alimentary tract of the patient.  There are nearly 275 studied cases of fecal bacteriotherapy.  All patients suffered from either refractory, recurrent, or fulminant disease.  Seventy five percent of cases involved instilling donor stool via colonoscopy.  The cumulative success rate in this extremely challenging patient cohort is reported to be 89%.  This success rate reaches 98% when an additional infusion is administered in the few patients who fail to respond to initial treatment.

Digestive CARE™ is pleased to offer this service at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.  Appropriate patients include those with refractory, recurrent, or fulminant disease.  Please see below for inclusion criteria.

1. Refractory –moderate symptoms not responding to oral vancomycin for at least one week
2. Recurrent – 3 episodes of mild to moderate C. Dif colitis with failure of a 6-8 week taper of vancomycin OR 2 episodes of severe C. Dif. resulting in hospitalization or significant morbidity.
3. Fulminant – severe disease (associated with diffuse abdominal pain, fever, acidosis, hypovolemia, significant leukocytosis, megacolon) and no response to standard therapy within 48 hrs.

Patient transfers from other hospitals are accepted for inpatient therapy as well as for outpatients with less severe disease.  Contact Digestive CARE™ today for a referral to a gastroenterologist who performs this procedure at (954) 344-2522 or online at www.digestivecareonline.com.

About Digestive CARE™:
Since its inception as an organization, Digestive CARE™ has grown to 60 providers, 52 of which are physicians, providing gastroenterology services at 25 locations throughout Broward and Palm Beach counties, covering 17 local hospitals and 14 Outpatient Surgery Centers.  All Digestive CARE™ physician office and surgical locations are centers of excellence, designed with the comfort and care of the patient in mind, delivering services in a friendly, convenient and compassionate environment.  For more information, please call (954) 344-2522 or visit www.digestivecareonline.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Jennifer Veasey
Digestive CARE™
(954) 344-2522, ext. 333       
[email protected]

SOURCE Digestive CARE