Probiotics as a Source of Lactobacillus Bacteremia in Children Who Received Hematopoietic Cell Transplants

Six pediatric hematopoietic cell transplant recipients at one center developed Lactobacillus bacteremia after receiving probiotic therapy.

The recognition that a normal gut microbiome is important for preventing both multidrug-resistant organism (MDRO) colonization and gut graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) makes probiotic therapy attractive for management of transplant recipients. However, a report of Lactobacillus bacteremia in children who had received probiotic therapy after hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) highlights a potential complication.

Beginning in July 2018, a pediatric HCT center began using two probiotic products containing 100 billion colony-forming units of a mixture of Streptococcus thermophilus, Bifidobacterium breve, B. lactis, Lactobacillus acidophilus, L. plantarum, L. paracasei, and L. helveticus to treat HCT patients who had MDRO colonization or gu…

Reviewing Author

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Richard T. Ellison III, MD

Disclosures

Consult/Advisory BoardAcurx Pharmaceuticals, LLC;

Grant/Research SupportDoctors Company Foundation, Massachusetts Department of Public Health

Probiotics as a Source of Lactobacillus Bacteremia in Children Who Received Hematopoietic Cell Transplants

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Reviewing Author