Stopped: Difficulties with enrollment and inability to guarantee further study drug supply after current supply expired.
A new medication, Bezlotoxumab, has been approved for treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile diarrhea by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The way this new medication works, is by binding the toxin produced by C. difficile bacteria and preventing damage to the large bowel. The toxin, and not the bacteria, is responsible for the damage, resulting in the clinical symptoms seen in patients. Sometimes, the infection can make a patient severely ill with organ failure and death. If severe enough, the infection requires surgery to remove the large bowel and allow the patient a better chance at recovery. Even with surgery and removal of the bowel, patients can continue to be severely ill and have a very high rate of mortality. The toxin that injures the large bowel has been shown to obtain access to systemic circulation because of the injury to the bowel. At this time, the investigators continue antibiotics and supportive care to help patients recover post-operatively, as the investigators do not have other interventions in this critical population. Bezlotoxumab is known to bind this toxin and stop it from causing further injury in the bowel; it has the potential to bind the systemic toxin to prevent further damage throughout the body. This study is proposing that this new medication, Bezlotoxumab, can be added to the current standard of care for severe infection that requires surgery, and result in a decrease of the complications associated with this disease process. In this study, some patients will receive the medication after surgery; others will receive extra fluid. The investigators will not know who received which in order to decrease any bias in the results. All participants will receive similar post-operative care and be monitored closely. When enough patients are enrolled in the study, the results will be evaluated.
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Mortality
Timeframe: 30-days