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Single Strain vs Multiple Strain Probiotics: The Clinician's Choice
Dhanasekhar Kesavelu1, Arunchander Yadav Krishnamurty2, Priya A2
1Paediatric Gastroenterology, Apollo Children's Hospital, Chennai, IND.
Insights
Pediatricians increasingly prescribe probiotics for children, with a strong preference for single-strain options like Bacillus clausii. This study analyzed 22,500 prescriptions, revealing trends in probiotic use for pediatric health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Microbiome Research
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Growing interest in probiotics for optimizing intestinal health in children and adults.
- Increasing use of probiotics in pediatric clinical practice due to scientific evidence.
- Probiotics are considered for therapeutic and preventive roles in various diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To prospectively analyze probiotic prescription patterns among pediatricians.
- To identify preferred probiotic strains and formulations in a pediatric tertiary care setting.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, observational study at a single tertiary care center.
- Involved 53 pediatricians and analysis of 22,500 prescriptions from electronic medical records (EMR).
- Data collected for children aged 0 to 16 years.
Main Results:
- Single-strain probiotic prescriptions constituted 77.20% (17,370/22,500) of all analyzed prescriptions.
- Bacillus clausii was the most frequently prescribed single-strain probiotic (48.57%).
- A common multi-strain combination included Streptococcus faecalis, Clostridium butyricum, Bacillus mesentericus, and Lactobacillus sporogenes (37.85%).
Conclusions:
- Pediatricians demonstrate a significant preference for single-strain probiotics.
- Bacillus clausii emerged as the leading single-strain probiotic choice.
- The findings highlight specific prescription trends in pediatric probiotic use.
Abstract:
Background The intention of optimizing the intestinal microbial milieu has heightened the interest of incorporating probiotics into nutritional supplements for children and adults as a therapeutic or preventive option for a variety of diseases. Prescriptions of probiotics for multiple clinical indications in paediatrics have substantially increased in the past decades and continue to rise due to convincing and growing scientific evidence around them. Aim To prospectively analyse the probiotic prescription patterns of pediatricians in a tertiary care hospital. Method This was a prospective, observational study conducted at a single center involving children aged 0 to 16 years. The study included 53 pediatricians and analyzed 22,500 prescriptions obtained from electronic medical records (EMR). Results A total of 22,500 pediatric prescriptions were analyzed, out of which 17,370 (77.20%) were single-strain probiotic prescriptions. Among single-strain probiotics, Bacillus clausii (48.57% [8,437/17,370]) was the most prescribed single-strain probiotic that was chosen by the clinician. On the other hand, the most commonly prescribed multi-strain probiotics prescriptions included a combination of Streptococcus faecalis, Clostridium butyricum, Bacillus mesentericus, and Lactobacillus sporogenes (37.85% [1,656/4,375]). Conclusion The study showed a greater preference pattern for single-strain probiotics, particularly Enterogermina among pediatricians.
