Do Probiotics Lower Incidence of Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia?

Research on probiotics has surged in recent years, fueled by a heightened awareness of increasing antimicrobial resistance. Probiotics are relatively cheap, easy to administer, and minimally toxic. However, prior studies have yielded conflicting results on their efficacy and safety. Because probiotics are categorized as nutritional supplements, rather than drugs, they are not subject to evaluation and oversight by the U.S. FDA.

Researchers performed a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate whether addition of probiotics (primarily lactobacillus, given via nasogastric or orogastric tube) lowered the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) among critically ill patients. Five RCTs that involved nearly 700 pa…