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The incidence of Clostridium difficile–related diarrhea is rising, as are the morbidity and mortality rates associated with it. The ideal approach to dealing with C. difficile–related disease is to prevent infection. Although consistent hand washing by healthcare providers is the most important component of infection prevention, probiotic supplements to encourage growth of normal intestinal flora also have been touted as a tactic.
In this British trial, investigators tested whether consumption of probiotic drinks during the course of antibiotic therapy could prevent antibiotic- and C. difficile–related diarrhea. Researchers randomized 135 hospitalized patients (mean age, 74) who were receiving antibiotics to drink 97-mL sterile milkshakes (p…