Gastroenterology

One-third of patients with cirrhosis who were also infected with Clostridium difficile were readmitted within 30 days, usually because of recurrent C difficile infection, according to a new nationwide study of hospitalized patients.

New research finds patients hospitalized for alcohol dependence have lower rates of survival if they are also infected with hepatitis C.

The new test compares favorably with other well-established, reference molecular methods and can be performed as an on-demand test by all laboratory shifts with final test results available within 20 minutes.

Clinical trials consistently demonstrate that fecal microbiota treatment is an effective treatment strategy for recurrent CDI, yet standardization practices vary.

The second member of the FDA-approved thrombopoietin receptor agonist drug class was proven efficacious and safe in a pair of phase 3 trials.

The 2 assays from Ortho Clinical Diagnosis consolidates the company's package of devices and systems designed to give patients frequent diagnoses.

One phase 2 study showed that RBX2660, a microbiota-based drug comprised of human stool, was effective in 77.8% of patients.

The paradigm of obesity is complex and requires a multi-disciplinary approach, but it is one of the most gratifying experiences for both the physicians and patient when they see the results of weight loss.

The double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group study that aims to observe linaclotide 290 mcg in 600 adult patients with IBS-C in the US.

Researchers found that patients with a documented penicillin allergy were at increased risk of developing MRSA (60%) and C. difficile (20%), in part due to alternative antibiotic use. However, when tested by an allergist, 95% were not actually allergic to penicillin.

Patients with a co-infection of Clostridium difficile and ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease have higher rates of in-hospital mortality and health care resource utilization.

Many antimicrobials prescribed after Clostridium difficile infection are prescribed inappropriately.

A new analysis shows a combination of ombitasvir/paritaprevir, ribavirin, and dasabuvir is safe and effective among older patients with HCV and cirrhosis.

In data assessed for the CE Mark, 70.6% of the patients experienced at least a ≥50% reduction in symptoms or a return to normal rates of bowel voidance at the 6-month mark.

The timing of administrating the drug didn’t seem to matter in terms of efficacy.

New research appears to show a causal link between HCV infection and dysbiosis of the gut microbiota.

This is the first US initiative in to address the potential role of screening and isolation of asymptomatic C. difficile carriers in an outbreak setting as an adjunct to standard infection prevention measures.

The therapy, currently approved in oral and injectable formulations, is being considered for adult women with symptoms.

Automatic alerts can reduce unnecessary testing, which might produce false-positives.

Tofacitinib was evaluated for the expansion of its indication based on data from 3 clinical trials.

A recent CDC report shows an association between the increase in HCV infections and the opioid crisis. Because HCV symptoms may not appear for decades, people often go undiagnosed, which delays treatment.

By the time of diagnosis, patients often have costly complications involving the liver.

The agency’s decision was made based on data from 2 phase 3 clinical trials—ADAPT-1 and ADAPT-2—which tested the safety and efficacy of avatrombopag in 435 patients.

It can’t replace two-step laboratory testing, but it is a suitable alternative as a diagnostic tool.

Oral amoxicillin and intravenous ertapenem kill commensal bacteria and increase risk for antibiotic resistance in Clostridium difficile.