4 ms·

It is regrettable that such an effective and relatively safe treatment has received so much opposition due primarily to social stigma. Instead the healthcare sy

by keyanp 12y ago

It is regrettable that such an effective and relatively safe treatment has received so much opposition due primarily to social stigma. Instead the healthcare system has chosen to trap patients into a cycle of using antibiotics to treat antibiotic associated infections and risk disease recurrence...

jrapdx3 12y ago
In this case, it's not the medical community that is impeding experimentation and progress, but rather the timidity of the FDA. The on/off signals emitted by the agency confuse and hinder the development of a simple and effective treatment for at least one disease with high mortality. I think there are people on the front lines who have a good idea of the technologies and treatments that work. The biggest impediments to implementation are often the insurers and regulators. Getting the unnecessary bits out of the way would likely result in a better and less expensive health care system in the US. This article is a good example of plausible innovation being stymied and I'm sure it's not the only one.
refurb 12y ago
Social stigma? How so? I didn't see that referred to at all in the article.
- penprog 12y ago
  It was talked about when it was said how it was embarrassing for patients to have to find their own donors.
cpncrunch 12y ago
I think the problem is that it hasn't proven to be "effective". Have there been any placebo-controlled trials at all? Even the 'positive' trial for C dificile wasn't placebo-controlled. Medical history is littered with extravagant claims for new medical treatments that end up being due to the placebo effect. Bear in mind that fecal transplant will have a HUGE placebo effect, so you need to rule that out before postulating that the treatment itself has any effect.
raddoc 12y ago
It will always remain cheaper and easier to treat with antibiotics, to which most people respond well. This technique will be reserved for refractory cases or the "DIY" crowd. The technique only recently received validation by a leading journal (NEJM). It will take time and additional studies before it is widely adopted. Keep in mind that while the limited case studies have shown minimal side effects, others will be seen as the sample size grows. It is never a completely benign process to expose one's bodily fluids to another.

by keyanp 12y ago

jrapdx3 12y ago

In this case, it's not the medical community that is impeding experimentation and progress, but rather the timidity of the FDA. The on/off signals emitted by the agency confuse and hinder the development of a simple and effective treatment for at least one disease with high mortality. I think there are people on the front lines who have a good idea of the technologies and treatments that work. The biggest impediments to implementation are often the insurers and regulators. Getting the unnecessary bits out of the way would likely result in a better and less expensive health care system in the US. This article is a good example of plausible innovation being stymied and I'm sure it's not the only one.

refurb 12y ago

Social stigma? How so? I didn't see that referred to at all in the article.

penprog 12y ago
It was talked about when it was said how it was embarrassing for patients to have to find their own donors.

cpncrunch 12y ago

I think the problem is that it hasn't proven to be "effective". Have there been any placebo-controlled trials at all? Even the 'positive' trial for C dificile wasn't placebo-controlled. Medical history is littered with extravagant claims for new medical treatments that end up being due to the placebo effect. Bear in mind that fecal transplant will have a HUGE placebo effect, so you need to rule that out before postulating that the treatment itself has any effect.

raddoc 12y ago

It will always remain cheaper and easier to treat with antibiotics, to which most people respond well. This technique will be reserved for refractory cases or the "DIY" crowd. The technique only recently received validation by a leading journal (NEJM). It will take time and additional studies before it is widely adopted. Keep in mind that while the limited case studies have shown minimal side effects, others will be seen as the sample size grows. It is never a completely benign process to expose one's bodily fluids to another.