Fulminant Clostridium difficile Infection Cured by Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in a Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient With Critical Neutropenia

Edward Krajicek; Matt Bohm; Sashi Sagi; Monika Fischer

doi:10.14309/crj.0000000000000198

Fulminant Clostridium difficile Infection Cured by Fecal Microbiota Transplantation in a Bone Marrow Transplant Recipient With Critical Neutropenia

ACG Case Rep J. 2019 Aug 21;6(8):e00198. doi: 10.14309/crj.0000000000000198. eCollection 2019 Aug.

Authors

Edward Krajicek¹, Matt Bohm¹, Sashi Sagi¹, Monika Fischer¹

Affiliation

¹ Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN.

Abstract

Clostridium difficile infection is the most prevalent health care-associated infection. Treatment relies on antimicrobial therapy with mounting evidence supporting fecal microbiota transplant (FMT) in refractory cases. Cohort studies have documented the safety of FMT in immunocompromised patients. However, the safety of FMT in patients with critically low (<500/μL) absolute neutrophil count is unknown. Currently, in severely immunocompromised bone marrow or solid organ transplant recipients, FMT is delayed until normalization of absolute neutrophil count. We present a patient with absolute neutropenia in whom sequential FMTs were safely and successfully administered, resulting in cure of fulminant C. difficile infection.

Publication types

Case Reports