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Probiotics

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Probiotics are live, non-pathogenic microorganisms that confer health benefits by modulating the gut microbiota. The human gastrointestinal tract harbors a complex microbial ecosystem, and the balance of this microbiota is crucial for digestive and systemic health. Among the most extensively studied and utilized probiotics are species formerly classified within the genera Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. These organisms not only naturally colonize the human gut but are also consumed through...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage

Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage

Published on: January 27, 2019

Probiotics in the intensive care unit.

Lee E Morrow¹, Vijaya Gogineni, Mark A Malesker

¹Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Creighton University Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68131, USA. lmorrow@creighton.edu

Nutrition in Clinical Practice : Official Publication of the American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

|April 5, 2012

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Probiotics, live microorganisms offering health benefits, show promise for preventing infections in intensive care units (ICUs). However, research inconsistencies and regulatory issues may hinder their future clinical application.

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Area of Science:

Microbiology
Critical Care Medicine
Gastroenterology

Background:

Probiotics are live microorganisms conferring health benefits, including infection resistance.
Rising antibiotic resistance necessitates non-antibiotic strategies for nosocomial infections.
Probiotics may prevent conditions like antibiotic-associated diarrhea and ventilator-associated pneumonia in ICUs.

Purpose of the Study:

To review the potential role of probiotics in intensive care units (ICUs).
To discuss proposed mechanisms of probiotic action and challenges in current research.
To highlight the promise and potential limitations of probiotics in critical care.

Main Methods:

Literature review of probiotic mechanisms and clinical applications in critical care.
Analysis of existing research on probiotic efficacy for ICU-specific infections.
Discussion of inconsistencies in study designs, dosages, and sample sizes.

Main Results:

Probiotics may improve gastrointestinal barrier function and modulate the gut microbiome.
Potential benefits include prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea, Clostridium difficile infections, and ventilator-associated pneumonia.
Current understanding is limited by inconsistent research methodologies and small sample sizes.

Conclusions:

Probiotics offer a promising non-antibiotic approach for preventing infections in critically ill patients.
Further research with standardized protocols is needed to establish optimal strains, dosages, and regimens.
Regulatory challenges, such as a recent FDA ruling, may impede future probiotic research and development.