TACROLIMUS IN TREATMENT OF

Abstracts: Treatment of Clostridium difficile diarrhea. Topical tacrolimus for treatment of atopic dermatitis. Alosetron (Lotronex) for treatment of irritable bowel syndromeThe bacteria Clostridium difficile is the most common cause of diarrhea and pseudomembranous colitis which are characterized by inflammation of the colon and formation of a membrane on the mucosa of the colon. C. difficile diarrhea results from the use of antibiotics such as clindamycin, ampicillin, and cephalosporins. Various methods of detecting C. difficile are described, including culturing or growing the microorganism from tissue or fecal specimens. C. difficile diarrhea improves when the antibiotics are withdrawn, although serious forms of the disease may be treated with vancomycin or metronidazole given by mouth or intravenously. Patients treated with vancomycin or metronidazole become afebrile, or recover from fever, within 24 to 48 hours, and the diarrhea resolves within five to seven days. The symptoms of the disease recur in 5 to 55 percent of patients within three to ten days after discontinuing treatment. Recurrence of the disease may be treated by additional courses of vancomycin or metronidazole. Cholestyramine, an agent that binds substances has been used to clear C. difficile from the intestine. Clostridium difficile diarrhea is controlled initially by withdrawal of antibiotic therapy, but more serious forms of the disease can be treated with vancomycin or metronidazole. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.