Probiotics and Ventilator-Associated Pneumonia

Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) develops in up to 30% of patients receiving mechanical ventilation. The pathogenesis is presumed to involve colonization of the aerodigestive tract and subsequent aspiration of contaminated secretions. Probiotics could potentially have a role in reducing VAP incidence by maintaining the aerodigestive microbial balance, but evidence to support this possibility is limited.

To explore the issue further, researchers conducted a randomized, double-blind trial among adult patients at a Nebraska hospital who were receiving mechanical ventilation and were likely to require it for >72 hours. The 146 patients received two capsules of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (each containing 10⁹ colony-forming units) or placebo …