Lactobacillus probiotics in the prevention of diarrhea associated with Clostridium difficile: a systematic review and Bayesian hierarchical meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Recent meta-analyses of the efficacy of probiotics for preventing diarrhea associated with Clostridium difficile have concluded there is a large effect favouring probiotics. We reexamined this evidence, which contradicts the results of a more recent large randomized controlled trial that found no benefit of Lactobacillus probiotics for preventing C. difficile-associated diarrhea.

Methods

We performed a systematic review of the efficacy of treatment with Lactobacillus probiotics for preventing nosocomial C. difficile-associated diarrhea in adults and carried out a meta-analysis using a Bayesian hierarchical model. We used credibility analysis and meta-regression to characterize the heterogeneity between studies.

Results

Ten

SUBMITTER: Sinclair A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5173486 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Oct-Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature