Fecal Transplant May Help Reduce Infections in Long-Term Care Patients

Fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) is a therapy that restores balance in the gut by transferring healthy bacteria, helping patients escape the cycle of repeated antibiotic failures and infections A recent clinical trial found that FMT was safe and well tolerated in frail long-term care patients, showing fewer bloodstream infections and less antibiotic use than standard care Even though transplant recipients still carried resistant bacteria, they experienced fewer serious infections, proving that restoring microbiome diversity strengthens the body's defenses against harmful microbes A national registry of 259 patients showed 90% were cured of recurrent Clostridioides difficile (C. difficile) infection after just one FMT treatment, with results lasting beyond six months FDA-approved products like Vowst and Rebyota now make FMT accessible in oral capsule and rectal forms, offering new hope for those facing stubborn gut infections