Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 3, 2025
Probiotic Studies in Neonatal Mice Using Gavage
Published on: January 27, 2019
Clinical Benefits From Administering Probiotics to Mechanical Ventilated Patients in Intensive Care Unit: A
Hongzhuan Song1, Wenqing Hu2, Xiujie Zhou1
1Department of Hematology, Haining People's Hospital, Haining, China.
Insights
Probiotics may reduce ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and shorten intensive care unit (ICU) stays for mechanically ventilated patients. However, further research is needed due to potential publication bias and heterogeneity in studies.
Area of Science:
- Critical Care Medicine
- Microbiology
- Pulmonology
Background:
- Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) is a significant concern in intensive care units (ICUs).
- Probiotics are being explored as a novel preventative strategy for VAP.
- This meta-analysis investigates the efficacy of probiotics in mechanically ventilated patients.
Conclusions:
- Probiotics show promise in reducing VAP, mechanical ventilation duration, ICU stay, and bacterial colonization.
- The study identified potential publication bias and significant heterogeneity, warranting cautious interpretation.
- Further validation is necessary to confirm these findings and establish definitive clinical recommendations.
Background:
The use of probiotics has been considered as a new intervention for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) prevention in the intensive care unit (ICU). The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the effect of probiotics on mechanical-ventilated patients in ICU.
Methods:
PubMed, Embase, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library were searched for relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from their respective inception through October 10, 2021. All studies meeting the inclusion criteria were selected to evaluate the effect of probiotics on patients receiving mechanical ventilation in ICU.
Results:
A total of 15 studies involving 4,693 participants met our inclusion criterion and were included in this meta-analysis. The incidence of VAP in the probiotic group was significantly lower (odds ratio [OR] 0.58, 95% CI 0.41 to 0.81; p = 0.002; I 2 = 71%). However, a publication bias may be present as the test of asymmetry was significant (p = 0.007). The probiotic administration was associated with a significant reduction in the duration of mechanical ventilation (mean difference [MD] -1.57, 95% CI -3.12 to -0.03; p = 0.05; inconsistency [I]2 = 80%), length of ICU stay (MD -1.87, 95% CI -3.45 to -0.28; p = 0.02; I 2 = 76%), and incidence of bacterial colonization (OR 0.59, 95% CI 0.45 to 0.78; p = 0.0001; I 2 = 34%). Moreover, no statistically significant differences were observed regarding the incidence of diarrhea (OR 0.90, 95% CI 0.65 to 1.25; p = 0.54; I 2 = 12%) and mortality (OR 0.91, 95% CI 0.80 to 1.05; p = 0.19; I 2 = 0%) between probiotics group and control group.
Conclusion:
Our meta-analysis shows that probiotics are associated with a reduction in VAP, as well as the duration of mechanical ventilation, ICU length of stay, and bacterial colonization, but no significant effects on ICU mortality and occurrence of diarrhea. However, in consideration of the significant heterogeneity and publication bias, our findings need to be further validated.
Systematic Review Registration:
https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42020150770.
Related Concept Videos
01:23Mechanical Ventilation III: Noninvasive Ventilation
Noninvasive Positive-Pressure Ventilation...
01:23Mechanical Ventilation II: Invasive Ventilation
Negative-Pressure Ventilators
Negative-pressure ventilators create a vacuum around the chest or body to draw air into the lungs, simulating breathing. This method does not require an...
01:29Acute Respiratory Failure-V
Ensure that patients are monitored continuously for their response to therapy, including changes in...
01:29Mechanical Ventilation I: Indication and Settings
01:28Pneumonia IV: Management
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include:
01:30Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed....