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Probiotics are used widely for a range of purported benefits, including reduction of antibiotic use through various proposed mechanisms. In this randomized trial, researchers examined whether probiotics reduced antibiotic administration in 310 nursing home patients (mean age, 85) in the U.K. Each patient received a daily probiotic capsule containing Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Bifidobacterium animalis lactis BB-12 (≈10 billion cells in each capsule) or a matching placebo capsule. Patients who already were taking probiotics, or who were immunocompromised, were excluded.
During mean follow-up of ≈8 months, during which roughly one fifth of patients died, researchers found no significant difference between the two groups in the number of day…