TY - JOUR
T1 - Maintaining standard volumes, efficacy and safety, of fecal microbiota transplantation for C. difficile infection during the COVID-19 pandemic
T2 - A prospective cohort study
AU - Ianiro, Gianluca
AU - Bibbò, Stefano
AU - Masucci, Luca
AU - Quaranta, Gianluca
AU - Porcari, Serena
AU - Settanni, Carlo Romano
AU - Lopetuso, Loris Riccardo
AU - Fantoni, Massimo
AU - Sanguinetti, Maurizio
AU - Gasbarrini, Antonio
AU - Cammarota, Giovanni
N1 - Funding Information:
None.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/12
Y1 - 2020/12
N2 - Background: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can be a life-saving treatment against recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). It is therefore necessary to maintain this procedure available for these patients during the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping high efficacy and safety standards. Aims: To report outcomes of a FMT service that has adapted its operational workflow during COVID-19 pandemic to continue offering FMT to patients with CDI. Methods: All patients with CDI referred to our center for FMT during pandemic were prospectively included. Each step of the FMT working protocol was adapted with specific security measures to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Results: Of 26 patients evaluated for FMT, 21 were treated for recurrent or refractory CDI. Eighteen patients completed the 8-week follow-up, and no one recurred after FMT. Follow-up is ongoing in 3 patients, although in all of them diarrhea disappeared after the first procedure. No serious adverse events were reported. Two patients had also COVID-19-related pneumonia, and were cured both from CDI and COVID-19. Conclusion: This is the first report to show that it is possible to maintain standard volumes, efficacy and safety of FMT for recurrent CDI during the COVID-19 pandemic, by adopting specific changes in the operational workflow.
AB - Background: Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) can be a life-saving treatment against recurrent Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI). It is therefore necessary to maintain this procedure available for these patients during the COVID-19 pandemic while keeping high efficacy and safety standards. Aims: To report outcomes of a FMT service that has adapted its operational workflow during COVID-19 pandemic to continue offering FMT to patients with CDI. Methods: All patients with CDI referred to our center for FMT during pandemic were prospectively included. Each step of the FMT working protocol was adapted with specific security measures to prevent the transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Results: Of 26 patients evaluated for FMT, 21 were treated for recurrent or refractory CDI. Eighteen patients completed the 8-week follow-up, and no one recurred after FMT. Follow-up is ongoing in 3 patients, although in all of them diarrhea disappeared after the first procedure. No serious adverse events were reported. Two patients had also COVID-19-related pneumonia, and were cured both from CDI and COVID-19. Conclusion: This is the first report to show that it is possible to maintain standard volumes, efficacy and safety of FMT for recurrent CDI during the COVID-19 pandemic, by adopting specific changes in the operational workflow.
KW - C. difficile infection
KW - Coronavirus
KW - Covid-19
KW - Fecal microbiota transplantation
KW - SARS-CoV2
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U2 - 10.1016/j.dld.2020.09.004
DO - 10.1016/j.dld.2020.09.004
M3 - Article
C2 - 33004295
AN - SCOPUS:85091853405
VL - 52
SP - 1390
EP - 1395
JO - Digestive and Liver Disease
JF - Digestive and Liver Disease
SN - 1590-8658
IS - 12
ER -