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First 'poop transplants' done in Singapore
PUBLISHED ON MAY 7, 2014 2:55 PM
BY LINETTE LAI
A faeces transplant as a cure may sound odd, but some patients at the National University Hospital (NUH) have found it a welcome relief.
The hospital began doing the transplants in January this year, using healthy bacteria from a donor's faecal matter to restore patients' digestive systems to full health.
Typically, these patients have been on strong antibiotics which cure all but the most resistant gastrointestinal bacteria. The surviving bacterium can cause varied problems, ranging from frequent diarrhoea in mild cases to tears of the intestines and death.
NUH doctors say they see about 20 or 30 cases of such infections every month. Only about two-thirds respond to conventional treatment methods, and even then the problem may recur.
PUBLISHED ON MAY 7, 2014 2:55 PM
BY LINETTE LAI
A faeces transplant as a cure may sound odd, but some patients at the National University Hospital (NUH) have found it a welcome relief.
The hospital began doing the transplants in January this year, using healthy bacteria from a donor's faecal matter to restore patients' digestive systems to full health.
Typically, these patients have been on strong antibiotics which cure all but the most resistant gastrointestinal bacteria. The surviving bacterium can cause varied problems, ranging from frequent diarrhoea in mild cases to tears of the intestines and death.
NUH doctors say they see about 20 or 30 cases of such infections every month. Only about two-thirds respond to conventional treatment methods, and even then the problem may recur.