Probiotics in the intensive care unit: why controversies and confusion abound.
Probiotics are living microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer health benefits on the host. Because probiotics are not marketed as pharmaceuticals, they are commercially available without rigorous scientific documentation of their efficacy for many health-related claims. Results from existing clinical trials are both confusing and controversial. The evidence base is relatively limited, includes studies with varied designs, assesses multiple probiotic preparations across discrepant disease states, and provides conflicting results. Recent advances in the delineation of probiotics' mechanisms of action offer the opportunity to construct a more logical framework within which future trials are designed.
Morrow
Lee E
LE
Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, Creighton University Medical Center, 601 North 30th Street, Suite #3820, Omaha, NE 68131, USA. lmorrow@creighton.edu
Kollef
Marin H
MH
D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007155:Immunologic Factors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007362:Intensive Care Units; D019936:Probiotics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D007155:Immunologic Factors