The Use of Probiotics Before Liver Transplantation to Reduce Infection Rates

In a meta-analysis, probiotic use was associated with lower infection rates, shorter antibiotic courses, and shorter hospital and intensive care unit stays but not lower mortality.

Infections are common after liver transplantation due to posttransplant immunosuppressant use, as well as the surgery itself, and can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Probiotics may prevent bacterial translocation from the gastrointestinal tract and thus reduce infection risk.

Now, researchers have performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effects of pretransplant probiotic use on infection rate, intensive care unit (ICU) stay, hospital stay, and 30-day mortality. They searched PubMed and EMBASE for relevant controlled trials published before April 2015. Four trials (3 of them randomized) totaling 246 participants — 123 taking probiotics and 123 controls — met inclusion criteria and were included in the stud…

Reviewing Author

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Atif Zaman, MD, MPH

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

The Use of Probiotics Before Liver Transplantation to Reduce Infection Rates

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Reviewing Author