Friendly Bacteria Take On Dangerous Foes
November 13th 2008
Researchers have found that using a form of "friendly bacteria" can protect patients against dangerous bacteria that trigger hospital infections.
Patients with severe breathing problems who need to use ventilators are at risk of developing ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) after inhaling harmful bacteria.
VAP often leads to longer intensive care and hospital stays, and can be fatal. The risk of it developing increases by one per cent for each day of mechanical ventilation.
To prevent infection, patients are usually given the antiseptic chlorhexidine (CHX).
But Dr Bengt Klarin and colleagues at the University Hospital in Lund, Sweden, tested the protective effect of a probiotic bacterium called Lactobacillus plantarum 299. This bacterium is found in saliva and fermented foods such as pickles and sauerkraut.
The researchers applied the bacterial solution in place of normal antiseptic in a group of 50 patients.
In the journal Critical Care, they explain: "We hypothesised that swabbing the mouth with probiotics would be an effective (and microbiologically attractive) method of reducing pathogenic oral microorganisms in intubated, mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients."
The probiotic treatment was equally as effective as the antiseptic, results showed. It had no side-effects. This is an advantage, the researchers say, because the CHX has common side-effects including tooth discoloration, irritation and occasionally serious allergic reactions.
They add that it does not contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant strains of the disease-causing bacteria, and that "the bacteria adhere to the oral mucosa, [so] they are able to counteract potentially pathogenic bacteria around the clock, which is superior to the fairly short-term effect of orally applied chemical agents".
Klarin, B. et al. Use of the probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum 299 to reduce pathogenic bacteria in the oropharynx of intubated patients: a randomised controlled open pilot study. Critical Care, published online, November 6, 2008.
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