Ep 87 C. diff: Fighting poop with poop

Ep 87 C. diff: Fighting poop with poop

In this week’s episode, we cover a bacterium whose recent emergence and rapid spread has been largely an epidemic of our own making. Clostridium difficile isn’t your typical pathogen - in many cases it’s not even considered a pathogen, just a normal member of our gut microbiota. But when something disrupts our gut microbiota, like antibiotics, C. difficile is given the freedom to spread its wings, wreaking deadly havoc on our bodies especially when it refuses to leave. We explore the characteristics of this bacterium that make it such a terrifying public health threat, delve into its recent-but-not-as-recent-as-you-might-think history, and chat about the current status of C. diff before asking the question, “what can poo do for you?” That’s right, we’re taking this opportunity to talk about one of our all-time favorite medical interventions, fecal microbiota transplantation. Helping us navigate the ins and outs of fecal transplants is Dr. Majdi Osman, Chief Medical Officer at OpenBiome, a nonprofit stool bank that aims to expand access to safe fecal microbiota transplantation and fund research into the human microbiome. By the end of this episode, we think you’ll find yourself in awe at the healing powers of poop.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Avsnitt(282)

From the Vault - Endometriosis: Menstrual Backwash (Ep 88)

From the Vault - Endometriosis: Menstrual Backwash (Ep 88)

This episode originally aired on January 11th, 2022. Chances are you know someone with endometriosis, or perhaps you’re affected yourself. But despite its incredibly high prevalence, endo remains almo...

30 Dec 20252h 11min

From the Vault - Hepatitis B: Hepatiti, Take 2 (Ep 89)

From the Vault - Hepatitis B: Hepatiti, Take 2 (Ep 89)

This episode originally aired on January 25th, 2022. In light of the recent changes by RFK jr’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to eliminate the universal birth dose of the hepatit...

23 Dec 20251h 30min

Ep 196 Health Myths: Fact or fiction?

Ep 196 Health Myths: Fact or fiction?

Did your grandma ever warn you against going out in the cold with wet hair because “you’ll catch your death”? Or have you ever tossed a few more carrots into your shopping basket in the hope that they...

16 Dec 20251h 6min

Special Episode: Dr. Homer Venters & Outbreak Behind Bars

Special Episode: Dr. Homer Venters & Outbreak Behind Bars

[Content warning: self-harm, suicide, violence] In this day and age, we are equipped with an abundance of tools and knowledge to fight the spread of disease. Yet what good does that toolkit do if we l...

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Ep 195 Salt Part 2: The Substance

Ep 195 Salt Part 2: The Substance

We ended last week’s episode on a bit of a cliffhanger: is salt actually bad for us and if so, why does there still seem to be a debate? This week’s episode holds all the answers. We’re sifting throug...

2 Dec 202553min

Ep 194 Salt Part 1: The Seasoning

Ep 194 Salt Part 1: The Seasoning

Have you ever thrown a pinch of spilled salt over your left shoulder? Or said to someone “well, take his opinion with a grain of salt”? Or looked up the potential salary of a job listing? Salt is so d...

25 Nov 202555min

Special Episode: Gabriel Weston & Alive

Special Episode: Gabriel Weston & Alive

In an anatomy and physiology class, you may learn how the different heart valves work to circulate your blood, how the structure of your kidney helps to maintain electrolyte levels, and how the expans...

18 Nov 202549min

Ep 193 Necrotizing Fasciitis: A strange beast

Ep 193 Necrotizing Fasciitis: A strange beast

If you were asked to describe necrotizing fasciitis in three words, you might choose: rapid, deadly, and rare. The third of those adjectives may provide some comfort, but the first two are the clear i...

11 Nov 20251h 7min

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