Her son needed a fecal transplant for a fearsome C. diff infection. Getting one required a tortuous journey

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Source: STAT News

Original: https://www.statnews.com/2026/03/23/c-diff-fda-drug-approval-access-paradox-feca...

Published: Mon, 23 Mar 2026 08:30:00 +0000

A mother's son needed a fecal transplant due to a dangerous C. diff infection. Getting a transplant took a tortuous path. Fecal transplantation involves the transfer of a medically processed stool sample from a healthy donor to the patient's colon[1][2][3]. It is used for recurrent C. diff infections when antibiotic therapy has failed and is indicated after a second confirmed episode[1][3][4]. The method restores healthy intestinal microbiota and suppresses pathogenic bacteria with a success rate of 91 to 93 percent, some studies report up to 100 percent[1]. Administration is most often carried out colonoscopically, but also gastrically, duodenally or in capsules[1][3][5]. Donor stool must be tested for pathogens such as hepatitis, HIV or parasites[2][3][6].