Oral Vancomycin Followed by Fecal Transplantation Versus Tapering Oral Vancomycin Treatment for Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection: An Open-Label, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Fecal transplantation (FT) is a promising treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), but its true effectiveness remains unknown. We compared 14 days of oral vancomycin followed by a single FT by enema with oral vancomycin taper (standard of care) in adult patients experiencing acute recurrence of CDI.

Methods: In a phase 2/3, single-center, open-label trial, participants from Ontario, Canada, experiencing recurrence of CDI were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to 14 days of oral vancomycin treatment followed by a single 500-mL FT by enema, or a 6-week taper of oral vancomycin.

Primary bilateral corneal nerve sheath neoplasm in a dog.

A 15-year-old, neutered male, Shih Tzu cross developed progressive corneal stromal thickening and vascularization of the right eye, and 5 months later, of the left eye. Both eyes became blind due to extensive corneal opacification and were enucleated. Light microscopic examination revealed a diffuse corneal infiltrate of neoplastic mesenchymal cells, and immunohistochemistry revealed diffuse cytoplasmic vimentin immunoreactivity and variable cytoplasmic and nuclear immunoreactivity for S100 in the neoplastic cells.

Low awareness but positive attitudes toward fecal transplantation in Ontario physicians.

Background: Despite mounting evidence supporting fecal transplantation (FT) as a treatment for recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI), adoption into clinical practice has been slow.

Objective: To determine the health literacy and attitudes of academic physicians in Toronto and infectious disease physicians in Ontario toward FT as a treatment for recurrent CDI, and to determine whether these are significant barriers to adoption.

Methods: Surveys were distributed to 253 general internists, infectious diseases specialists, gastroenterologists and family physicians.

Intravenous iron and recombinant erythropoietin for the treatment of postoperative anemia.

Purpose: To determine if early recovery from severe post-operative anemia is accelerated by iv iron therapy alone or in combination with recombinant erythropoietin (EPO).

Methods: In this double-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized study, consenting adult patients without preoperative anemia whose hemoglobin concentration (Hb) was 70 to 90 g x L(-1) on the first day after cardiac or orthopedic surgery (POD 1) were assigned to one of three groups: control, iv iron alone (200 mg of iron sucrose on POD 1, 2, and 3) or in combination with EPO (600 U x kg(-1) on POD 1 and 3). The primary outcome was increase in Hb (adjusted for red blood cell transfusions) from POD 1 to 7.