This probiotic oral capsule prevents and treats Clostridium difficile infection and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Yearly, C. difficile bacteria causes about half a million colon infections, 29,300 deaths, and accounts for 10-20 percent of antibiotic-associated diarrhea cases in the United States. Infections caused by C. difficile bacteria are particularly common in healthcare and long-term care facilities and affect patients over 60 at high rates. Normally, C. difficile growth is controlled by naturally occurring gut flora, but when gut flora are disturbed, C. difficile bacteria can grow rapidly in the colon. Severe infections can lead to life-threatening conditions including toxic megacolon and sepsis. Antibiotics are used to treat C. difficile infection but re-infection rates are 20-25 percent using this treatment method. Available probiotics have little treatment value for this condition.
Researchers at the University of Florida have developed a probiotic that is effective as a treatment for C. difficile infection and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. This probiotic capsule helps restore the natural gut flora that controls the growth of C. difficile in the colon to prevent and treat infection.
Probiotic oral capsule for the treatment and prevention of C. difficile infection and antibiotic-associated bacteria
This probiotic oral capsule prevents and treats C. difficile infections and antibiotic-associated diarrhea by strengthening existing gut flora. It contains nonpathogenic butyrogenic bacterial strains to modulate microbial microflora, specifically C. difficile. The probiotic can be one butyrogenic strain or a mixture of multiple strains. It is best administered orally along with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.