Fecal Transplant: Early History of FMT - Softcover

Nozawa, Yashi

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1507834632 ISBN 13: 9781507834633

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015

Synopsis

Infection with antibiotic-resistant microbes, often referred as "super-bugs," in hospitals can be a common problem. A conventional solution to the problem is to find a new antibiotic. This solution simply accelerates an arms race between microbes and pharmaceutical companies which try to develop an effective antibiotic. We should search for a completely new approach to the problem. This book might suggest an alternative approach for the superbug problem. It describes the tragic experience of a student nurse, Betty, who performed the world's first fecal transplant. It is not well known to the general public, but there are some diseases that infect mostly patients in hospitals. These diseases are often referred to as post-operative complications or a new infection, due to patients' weakened immune system. Pseudo membranous colitis (PM colitis) was one of such diseases, which predominantly affects patients after surgery of the digestive system. It had a high fatality rate, but there was no known effective treatment. An odd circumstance pushed Betty to perform the world's first fecal transplant and demonstrate its effectiveness. However, because of the stigma attached to feces, fellow medical staff ridiculed her to such a degree that she could not remain as a staff nurse. Later academic researchers identified the pathogen of PM colitis as Clostridium difficile (C. diff), and renamed the disease C-diff infection. Again although fecal transplant was an effective treatment for the disease, the mainstream establishment of the medical community ignored the treatment. When C. diff evolved an antibiotic-resistant strain, hundred-thousands of patients died in hospitals every year around the world. In the United States, bureaucratic hurdles prevented research of fecal transplant, despite such a high mortality rate. Eventually, the news of effectiveness of fecal transplant spread on the Internet and many patients started doing by themselves with help of friends and relatives because medical doctors were unwilling to perform such illegal treatment. In 2013, after more than fifty years from Betty's action, FDA finally and reluctantly allowed doctors to perform fecal transplant for limited cases of C-diff infection. FDA also renamed the procedure FMT (Fecal Microbiota Transplantation.) Meanwhile Betty suffered personal tragedy, but she finally retired and enjoyed her peaceful life knowing that the mainstream of the medical community accepted fecal transplant, even for limited cases. This book also comments on the FDA and NIH's role in new drug development, especially concerned about Ebola epidemic.

About this title

About the Author:

Yashi Nozawa was born in Tokyo, Japan. He came to the United States for graduate studies and received M.S and Sc.D. degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from MIT. After his retirement from engineering, he began writing as a second career. He writes in two different fields: the genre of biographical fictions and memoirs, and science and religions, specializing in the rational explanation of religious phenomena. He has written several dozen articles in both fields for periodicals. He has also published, "Temporary Permanence", subtitled "My Life in America: Humorous Short Stories Based on Experiences of a Japanese Engineer," a collection of autobiographical short stories. Readers of the book have praised his O. Henry-style writing and made it a local best seller. "Don't Be Afraid of Air Raids" is the second book in his memoir series, but the first book dealing with the war experience. In the science-religion series, he published, "The Spring Connections: Easter, Passover and Others," (as Dr. Yasushi Nozawa). The book is about the deep-rooted tradition of spring celebrations and their interaction with calendar systems. He also disclosed his new interpretation of the meaning of the Israelites' Exodus from Egypt in the book. "Betrayal, Resurrection, and Conversion: An Atheist's View," is his second book in the science and religion field. He discloses three bold new hypotheses, explaining major miracles in Christianity in rational and logical ways. "The First Christmas" is his third book in the science-religion series. It covers the origin, dispersion, and evolution of Christmas celebrations and associated events of early American exploration. He also started this "Ten Minute Book series" to publish his many short essays in various fields.

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2015
• ISBN 10: 1507834632
• ISBN 13: 9781507834633
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 92