Article from Medscape

[Bobbie]

http://www.medscape.com/viewprogram/7296?src=mp

Excellent presentations (including one by Dale Gerding) re. old treatments (Flagyl not effective in many new cases) , new treatments, fact that tests for C. diff. are only about 70% accurate so if symptoms are present, patient should be treated regardless of testing, etc.

[TheVike]

based on listening to the presentation(s) it is for the most part concluded that Probiotics AND PPI's have no bearing WHATSOEVER on CDIFF to begin with and or its recurrence??? Correct me if I am wrong...

[Allison]

I don't think one can safely say there is "no bearing whatsoever" on either...more studies need to be conducted before such a definitive statement can be made with confidence.

The available data has not shown a solid correlation between PPI's and cdiff aquisition and/or relapses so far....at least according to this panel of cdiff experts.

For probiotics in general -there is some retrospective data that held promise at one time for prevention, but as always, when trying to apply epidemiological studies to those who already have the disease - all bets are off.
There are still no evidence-based results that conclude probiotics can "cure" cdiff. Nothing has really changed on that front.