Fecal Transplants
This story comes under the "weird but true category".
Many of the local hospitals around Vancouver have been experiencing Clostridium Difficile Infections (CDI), which cause a hospital - induced type of wicked diarrhea.
Click on the sign above to see a skit on
Fecal Transplants done by the 22 Minutes comedy troop.
The cause is usual prolonged use of antibiotics, which throws off the normal bowel ecology.
The cure is usually a different batch of antibiotics.
However there are alternative treatments, which may appeal to people who don't want to pile one antibiotic on top of another. These treatments are :
a) the use of "probiotics"
b) fecal transplants
Many of the local hospitals around Vancouver have been experiencing Clostridium Difficile Infections (CDI), which cause a hospital - induced type of wicked diarrhea.
Click on the sign above to see a skit on
Fecal Transplants done by the 22 Minutes comedy troop.
The cause is usual prolonged use of antibiotics, which throws off the normal bowel ecology.
The cure is usually a different batch of antibiotics.
However there are alternative treatments, which may appeal to people who don't want to pile one antibiotic on top of another. These treatments are :
a) the use of "probiotics"
b) fecal transplants
And you thought science was boring !!!
"I Fucking Love Science " - Poop transplants can make you fat. Or skinny !
This is a science oriented web site started by a teenage girl, who chose it's somewhat colorful name. It now has almost 20 million subscribers. And as a total science geek myself, I can assure you that everything I have ever read on it is totally accurate. And quite entertaining. To check on one of the more recent poop articles , check out. http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/woman-becomes-obese-after-fecal-transplant-overweight-donor
This is a science oriented web site started by a teenage girl, who chose it's somewhat colorful name. It now has almost 20 million subscribers. And as a total science geek myself, I can assure you that everything I have ever read on it is totally accurate. And quite entertaining. To check on one of the more recent poop articles , check out. http://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/woman-becomes-obese-after-fecal-transplant-overweight-donor
Why is this man wearing germs around his neck ???
If you have made it this far you may also want to check out a wonderful and entertaining TED talk about various microbial issues, including diabetes and weight - and microbes. http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_eisen_meet_your_microbes?language=en
Probiotics
Probiotics are bacteria that are normally found in the intestine, but which are often deficient after a course of antibiotics. Just restoring these normal, harmless poo germs can help get rid of the Clostridium Difficile, and have a patients bowels return to their usual state in a more natural manner.
Many yogurts haver probiotics added to them. You can also get probiotic capsules that will optimize your bowel concentration of "good" bacteria.
When probiotics fail, the next and slightly more drastic measure is a fecal transplant. This is pretty much what it sounds like. We replace a bowel full of dysfunctional bacteria by flushing them out altogether, and then repopulating the bowel with a fresh batch of normal bacteria. In practical terms, we do a poo transplant.
Poo transplants have been used to treat a variety of conditions, such as
1) Clostridium difficile diarrhea
2) Constipation
3) Irritable bowel syndrome
4) Colitis
5) Crohn's disease
6) Parkinson's disease (Am J Gastroenterol 2011; 106: S352)
7) Multiple sclerosis
Many yogurts haver probiotics added to them. You can also get probiotic capsules that will optimize your bowel concentration of "good" bacteria.
When probiotics fail, the next and slightly more drastic measure is a fecal transplant. This is pretty much what it sounds like. We replace a bowel full of dysfunctional bacteria by flushing them out altogether, and then repopulating the bowel with a fresh batch of normal bacteria. In practical terms, we do a poo transplant.
Poo transplants have been used to treat a variety of conditions, such as
1) Clostridium difficile diarrhea
2) Constipation
3) Irritable bowel syndrome
4) Colitis
5) Crohn's disease
6) Parkinson's disease (Am J Gastroenterol 2011; 106: S352)
7) Multiple sclerosis
Transpooshun
CLICK ON THE PIC TO SEE A VIDEO ON THE PROCEDURE
The bowel has often been called the "second brain", but I still find it it suprising that a poo transplant could benefit the symptoms of a neurological disease like Parkinson's or Multiple Sclerosis.
But their are reputable medical journal articles describing this.
And for actual Clostridium difficile diarrhea the benefits of a poo transplant can be quite enormous.
A recent study ( Jan 2013) has shown that poo fed into the duodenum through a nasogastic tube works four times as well for getting rid of clostridium difficile diarrhea than does a course of fancy and very expensive antibiotics. And getting the remedy through a nasogastric tube gets around the problem of either having to have it shoved up yer bottom end or having to eat sh*t.
Canadians have even developed even more sensitivity in this area. Canadian scientists have developed a bionic colon that can create artifiical poo for use in transplants. Artificial poo is apparently much more aesthetically appealing than donor poo. Plus you don't have to look for a donor. ( Donors are usually family members - who else could you ask for a poo donation without being embarrassed beyond belief.)
But their are reputable medical journal articles describing this.
And for actual Clostridium difficile diarrhea the benefits of a poo transplant can be quite enormous.
A recent study ( Jan 2013) has shown that poo fed into the duodenum through a nasogastic tube works four times as well for getting rid of clostridium difficile diarrhea than does a course of fancy and very expensive antibiotics. And getting the remedy through a nasogastric tube gets around the problem of either having to have it shoved up yer bottom end or having to eat sh*t.
Canadians have even developed even more sensitivity in this area. Canadian scientists have developed a bionic colon that can create artifiical poo for use in transplants. Artificial poo is apparently much more aesthetically appealing than donor poo. Plus you don't have to look for a donor. ( Donors are usually family members - who else could you ask for a poo donation without being embarrassed beyond belief.)
