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Efficacy of Synbiotics for Treatment of Bacillary Dysentery in Children: A Double-Blind, Randomized,

Manijeh Kahbazi1, Marzieh Ebrahimi1, Nader Zarinfar1

  • 1Infectious Diseases Research Centre (IDRC), Arak University of Medical Sciences, Arak, Iran.

Advances in Medicine
|January 3, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Synbiotics significantly reduced dysentery duration, fever, and weight loss in children with bacillary dysentery. This study highlights synbiotics as an effective adjuvant therapy for pediatric dysentery, improving recovery times and reducing illness severity.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Microbiology
  • Gastroenterology

Background:

  • Bacillary dysentery is a significant cause of pediatric hospital admissions.
  • Standard treatments for dysentery can be supplemented to improve patient outcomes.
  • The role of probiotics and prebiotics (synbiotics) in managing pediatric dysentery requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of synbiotics as an adjunct therapy for bacillary dysentery in children.
  • To compare the effects of synbiotics versus placebo on the duration of dysentery, fever, and weight loss.
  • To assess the impact of synbiotics on hospitalization duration in pediatric patients with dysentery.

Main Methods:

  • A randomized clinical trial involving 200 children diagnosed with dysentery.
  • Participants were divided into two groups: one receiving synbiotics and the other receiving a placebo, alongside standard treatment.
  • Key outcome measures included the duration of dysentery, fever, weight loss, and hospitalization.

Main Results:

  • No significant differences in baseline characteristics were observed between the synbiotic and placebo groups.
  • The synbiotic group showed a significant reduction in the mean duration of dysentery (P < 0.05).
  • Significantly shorter durations of fever (P < 0.001) and lower average weight loss (P < 0.001) were recorded in the synbiotic group compared to the placebo group.
  • No significant difference was found in the mean duration of hospitalization between the two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusions:

  • Synbiotics, when used as adjuvant therapy with standard treatment, significantly decrease the duration of dysentery and fever in children.
  • The use of synbiotics also leads to a significantly lower rate of weight loss in pediatric patients with dysentery.
  • Synbiotics represent a promising therapeutic option for managing bacillary dysentery in children, improving clinical recovery without altering hospitalization length.

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