title: [Efficacy and safety of probiotics].
abstract: Probiotics are bacteria or fungi, which modulate pathogenic growth and invasion of the bowel. The most frequently used are Lactobacillus and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. They are widely used as dietary supplements or for the treatment and prevention of various types of diarrhoea. Probiotics are generally considered as safe, but some cases of invasive infections have been described in different patient populations. This article reviews the literature about the indications and risks of probiotics, especially in immunocompromised patients.
authors.affiliation: Service de Médecine Interne Générale, Département de Médecine Interne, HUG, Genève.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: F P
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Sarasin
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects; D001644:Bifidobacterium; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000628:therapy; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control; D016984:Enterococcus faecium; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007778:Lactobacillus; D019936:Probiotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012441:Saccharomyces cerevisiae; D012449:Safety; D014195:Travel
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents