2824 Inpatient Fecal Microbiota Transplantation for the Treatment of Refractory Severe-Complicated Clostridioides difficile Infection

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Currently, surgery is the primary treatment option for refractory, severe-complicated Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) in the inpatient setting. There are limited series reporting the efficacy of Fecal Microbiota Transplantation (FMT) to treat such cases as an alternative to surgery or in patients who are not surgical candidates. We aimed to assess the response rate and prognosis of these patients after inpatient FMT. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with CDI (watery diarrhea with positive stool assay) admitted in the ICU, and who received FMT from January 2013 to July 2016. Potential cases were identified by diagnosis codes and eligibility was confirmed through manual chart review. Severe-complicated CDI was defined as CDI with any of the following: ICU admission, hypotension, shock, sepsis, megacolon, colectomy or death due to CDI. CDI was termed refractory in the absence of clinical response to antibiotics after 5 days. Recurrence was defined as typical CDI symptoms and positive stool assay within 56 days of treatment with interim symptom resolution. The primary outcome was resolution of CDI (clinical cure with no recurrence). Secondary outcomes included risk of recurrent CDI and mortality. Microsoft Excel was used for descriptive statistical analysis. RESULTS: Of 273 patients screened, 6 cases met inclusion criteria. Five patients received FMT via colonoscopy, one via retention enema. The mean age at time of FMT was 72 (range, 54-88) years, 4 (66%) patients were female. All had severe-complicated CDI, 3 had concomitant diverticulosis and none had inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The median follow-up after FMT was 8.5 (range, 1-18) months. Three patients received non-CDI antibiotics within 6 months post-FMT, 3 received acid suppression therapy (Table 1). FMT was performed after a median of 3 (range, 1-5) episodes of CDI with a median of 4.5 previous courses of antibiotics (range 2-6 courses) (Table 1). Four of the six patients (66%) had resolution of CDI, 2 patients had recurrence. One patient died due to sepsis secondary to CDI; 3 died due to unrelated causes. CONCLUSION: In this small retrospective study, inpatient FMT was effective for treating refractory severe-complicated CDI. There was one CDI-related mortality by the end of follow up. FMT may be an alternative therapy in patients with severe-complicated CDI.