Successful Treatment of Pseudomembranous Colitis with Fecal Microbiota Transplantation – A Case Study on A Patient Rescued by Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation After Cardiac Arrest

BACKGROUND: Pseudomembranous colitis (PMC) is an opportunistic, nosocomial infection caused by Clostridium difficile. CASE REPORT: Here we described a patient who developed PMC during her recovery from cardiac arrest. A 16-year-old female high school student experienced sudden cardiac arrest. Spontaneous circulation was not returned by standard cardiopulmonary resuscitation. After her admission to the emergency unit, her cardiac function and neurologic function were finally resumed by extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR); however, after 14 days, her recovery was complicated with excessive diarrhea and shock. Colonoscopy confirmed the diagnosis of PMC. Metronidazole and vancomycin were immediately administered; however, the treatment did not result in any improvement. Fecal microbiota transplantation was then performed, and after 4 transplantations, her diarrhea was significantly ameliorated. After hospital stay for 135 days, the patient was finally discharged with grade II brain function. She later recovered self-care ability in follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The patient suffered from a long-term gastrointestinal ischemia-hypoxia resulting from cardiac arrest. The use of broad-spectrum antibiotics in the later treatment led to refractory PMC, which was successfully managed by multiple fecal microbiota transplantation.