August 11, 2025
#494 C. diff, Diarrhea, the Microbiome, and New Therapies with Dr. Cynthia Sears. Live from Johns Hopkins Grand Rounds
The Curbsiders Internal Medicine PodcastAbout this episode
Dominate C. diff! Learn to distinguish colonization from infection, select first-line therapies, and counsel patients on recurrence prevention and microbiome recovery. We’re joined by IDSA past president and expert on foodborne and intestinal infections, Dr. Cindy Sears (Johns Hopkins University) for a comprehensive update on Clostridioides difficile (C. diff, Cdiff, CDAD, CDI). Claim CME for this episode at curbsiders.vcuhealth.org ! Patreon | Episodes | Subscribe | Spotify | YouTube | Newsletter | Contact | Swag! | CME Show Segments 00:00 Intro 03:00 Guest bio and hobby 04:25 Case of Charles Fleur Fontaine 06:00 Risk factors and epidemiology 08:00 Antibiotic hierarchy of risk 10:00 Diagnosis, testing strategies 14:00 Defining severity 17:30 Treatment options 20:00 Microbiome recovery strategies 24:00 Probiotics and postbiotics 27:00 Infection control counseling 30:00 C. diff and colon cancer 32:00 Recurrent C. diff strategies 35:00 Why some FMT and bezlotoxumab were discontinued 38:00 Microbiota replacement therapies 43:00 Prophylaxis strategies 45:00 Future therapies and ongoing research 47:00 Audience Q&A 52:00 Outro Credits Written and Produced by: Matthew Watto, MD, FACP Cover Art and Infographic by: Hosts: Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP Reviewer: Sai S Achi MD,MBA,FACP Showrunners: Matthew Watto MD, FACP; Paul Williams MD, FACP Technical Production: PodPaste Guest: Cynthia Sears MD Disclosures Dr. Sears reports no relevant financial disclosures. Dr. Williams financial relationships disclosed include a Merck grant or research support. This relationship has not ended. Sponsor: Mint Mobile This year, skip breaking a sweat AND breaking the bank. Get this new customer offer and your 3-month Unlimited wireless plan for just 15 bucks a month at mintmobile.com/CURB Sponsor: Panacea Financial Let Panacea Financial take the financial stress off your plate,so you can get back to doing what matters most. Visit panaceafinancial.com Sponsor: FIGS Get15% off your first order at wearfigs.com with the code FIGSRX