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Gastrointestinal colonization of drug-resistant bugs not stopped by probiotics

The researchers saw no effects in patients who were treated with probiotics in a small study.

By Stephen Feller

ST. LOUIS, Aug. 27 (UPI) -- Probiotics were found not to prevent or eliminate gastrointestinal colonization when compared with standard care, according to a small study of patients hospitalized in an intensive care unit.

The pilot study was designed to evaluate a new way to treat drug-resistant bacteria that colonize the lower intestine, researchers wrote in the study, published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology.

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Researchers worked with 70 patients being treated in the intensive care unit at Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis during a 21-month period. Patients were followed for 14 days, or until they were no longer being treated in the ICU.

Randomizing patients who received the probiotic Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, researchers tested whether the drug could prevent gastrointestinal colonization of multi-drug resistant organisms such as Clostridium difficile, vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Among all the patients who were given the probiotic, researchers saw no difference either in acquisition or loss of any of the organisms they targeted.

The researchers note several limitations of the study, including the size of the study, the duration of follow-up with patients, and that only one type and dose of probiotic was used for the study.

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"Our research suggests that probiotics do not help prevent gastrointestinal colonization with multidrug-resistant organisms in critically ill patients," said Dr. Jennie H. Kwon, a researcher at the University of Washington in St. Louis, in a press release. "Further research is needed on this emerging intervention to evaluate the effectiveness in preventing intestinal colonization of drug-resistant organisms."

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