title: [Effects of bifidobacteria on respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts in neonates receiving mechanical ventilation].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To study the effects of bifidobacterium on respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts in neonates receiving mechanical ventilation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The eligible neonates were randomly assigned into two groups: observed (n=38) and control (n=43). The observed group was given bifidobacteria daily (one capsule per time, for 7 days) by nasal feeding from the next day after mechanical ventilation. Gastric pH, gastric bacteria colonization, feeding intolerance, weight gain, the incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), and the homology between the bacteria isolated from intra-gastric colonization with those causing VAP were observed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The incidence of gastric pH≤3 in the observed group was significantly higher than that in the control group 3, 5 and 7 days after mechanical ventilation (P<0.01). The rate of gastric bacteria colonization in the observed group was significantly lower than that in the control group 5 and 7 days after mechanical ventilation (P<0.01). The incidences of feeding intolerance and VAP in the observed group were significantly lower than those in the control group (P<0.05, P<0.01, respectively). The rate of homology of the bacteria isolated from intra-gastric colonization with those causing VAP in the observed group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.01). There were no significant differences in the weight gain between the two groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bifidobacterium can decrease gastric pH, gastric bacteria colonization and feeding intolerance, thus blocks the infection route "stomach-oropharynx-respiratory tract" indirectly and decreases the incidence of endogenous VAP in neonates receiving mechanical ventilation.
authors.affiliation: Bao'an District Maternity and Child Health Hospital of Shenzhen, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518133, China. szwuxl2008@sina.com
authors.forename: Xiang-Lan
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Yue-Feng
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bei-Yan
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Li-Juan
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Zhi-Jun
authors.initials: ZJ
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D001644:Bifidobacterium / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005745:Gastric Acidity Determination; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000382:microbiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D053717:Pneumonia, Ventilator-Associated / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects*; D015430:Weight Gain