C-difficile or c-diff. is a common and sometimes deadly health care-associated infection. Almost 500,000 cases are diagnosed each year in the U.S., usually affecting hospitalized patients and others taking antibiotics. The symptoms include severe diarrhea and colitis. Even after treatment, c-diff frequently returns. A new study examined a potential way to prevent the infection from coming back.

Dale Gerding, MD from the Edward Hines VA Hospital and co-authors looked at 168 patients with recent c-diff and divided them into four treatment groups. Three of the groups received varying doses of the non-toxigenic c-diff strain. The fourth group received a placebo. The study appears in JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association.

To peruse the full study, click here.