Non-antibiotic therapy for Clostridium difficile infection

Treatment of Clostridium difficile infection with metronidazole or vancomycin is successful in the majority of cases, but relapse occurs in 15% to 20% of patients, and in some the infection can remain chronic for months or years. The use of non-antibiotic therapies for this infection is theoretically attractive, as they would enable the normal colonic microflora to be reconstituted which is a requirement for permanent eradication of this pathogen. Over the past decade a number of non-antibiotic approaches to eliminate or neutralize C. difficile or its toxins have been proposed, including probiotic therapy with non-pathogenic microorganisms and several forms of immunotherapy. These alternative approaches are in their infancy, but initial reports appear to support efficacy against this stubborn infection. Curr Opin Infect Dis 13:215-219. (C) 2000 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.