Giving two monoclonal antibodies along with antibiotics cut recurrence of Clostridium difficile (c. diff) infection significantly.

When a single injection of the two antibodies against c. difficile toxins was given, 7 percent of patients had their infection return within the next 84 days.  In comparison, patients who got a placebo shot, had a 25 percent recurrence rate.

The antibodies were even more effective in preventing recurrence in patients who had had more than one episode of c. diff. Read the rest of this entry »

In hospitals, clostridum difficile spores are found on bedrails and other objects in patient rooms.  Immune response, shown by lymphocytes in and near tumors predicts better outcomes for patients with colorectal cancer.

In other news, the NIH Medline Plus helps long-distance relatives for aging family, and the National Space Biomedical Research Institute studies of the effects of space radiation on the bones of astronauts during long voyages to the moon or Mars may benefit cancer patients on Earth who are getting radiotherapy. Read the rest of this entry »

About one in five patients with Clostridium difficile (C. difficile) infection will have that infection come back.  Doctors have developed a simple, three-point rule that can help identify those patients most at risk for recurrence.

Patients who are most likely to have their infection return are over 65, have severe or suddenly intense symptoms, and continue other antibiotics after treatment for C. difficile infection.

Knowing which patients are likely to be in trouble can help doctors use interventions to prevent the disease from coming back, Read the rest of this entry »