Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Probiotic Use in Enteral Feeding Among Intensive Care Unit Healthcare...

Area of Science:

• Critical Care Medicine
• Microbiology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Probiotics show promise for critically ill patients on enteral nutrition.
• Current use of probiotics in intensive care units (ICUs) is inconsistent.
• Understanding healthcare professionals' (HCPs) knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) is crucial for optimizing probiotic therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess KAP of HCPs regarding probiotics in enteral nutrition.
• To identify barriers to probiotic implementation in ICUs.
• To examine associations between KAP scores and demographic/professional variables.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter, cross-sectional online survey was conducted.
• 935 ICU HCPs (physicians, nurses, dietitians, pharmacists, respiratory therapists) participated.
• The survey assessed knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to probiotic use during enteral feeding.

Main Results:

• Overall knowledge was insufficient (33.2% high scores), while attitudes were moderately favorable (35.5% positive).
• 58.7% of HCPs recommended/prescribed probiotics, with dietitians most frequent (84.5%).
• Key barriers included lack of product information (73.2%), limited knowledge (41.2%), product availability (37.8%), and cost (29.7%).

Conclusions:

• ICU HCPs exhibit interest but also knowledge gaps and practice variability regarding probiotics.
• Barriers to optimal probiotic use in enteral nutrition need addressing.
• Multidisciplinary education and standardized protocols are essential for improving probiotic administration and patient outcomes.