Skip to main content

Possible Breakthrough for C. Difficile In Hospital Patients: Probiotics Could Be The Key

min read

By Catherine Roberts

A new treatment may have been discovered for patients at risk for C. difficile. Clostridium difficile colitis is a dangerous and antibiotic resistant pathogen. It is an infection of the colon and can cause perforation of the colon and peritonitis.

The study looked at preventative measures for C. difficile. Researchers studied 20 randomized control trials, looking at 4,000 participants. They used a powdered probiotics along with the regular full spectrum antibiotics. The results were that patients who took probiotics had a 66% reduction in D. difficile instances.

Probiotics are living microorganisms that are thought to have beneficial effects to your bowls. You can naturally consume probiotics with fermented food, such as active culture yogurt, buttermilk, and naturally fermented pickles.

Dr. Mark Loeb, the co-author of this study, commented on the results. “People at high risk are admitted, given antibiotics and unfortunately, sometimes they acquire this bacteria and it could lead to serious complications. Sometimes, it becomes very hard to treat and get rid of, so prevention is very important.” He adds that, “Probiotics are not generally a standing order for high risk individuals. This is where this [research] could affect policy because it summarizes all the evidence and says look, doing something that’s relatively inexpensive, safe and potentially very effective is probably a good thing for patients.”

The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, with research from McMaster University and the Hospital for Sick Children.

Source: The Spec

Catherine Roberts

Contributor

Catherine is our go-to writer for women’s health news, diet trends and more. She’s dedicated to providing Activebeat readers with the information they need to maintain a healthy lifestyle every day.

Diet and Nutrition News & Advice

Explore

Dietary Fibre Affects More Than Your Colon: How the Immune System, Brain and Overall Health Benefit Too
By Mark Wulczynski Diet and Nutrition News & Advice

Dietary Fibre Affects More Than Your Colon: How the Immune System, Brain and Overall Health Benefit Too

There’s no shortage of advice about what to eat, including hype about the latest superfoods that will help you live to 100, or about the newest restrictive diets that claim to help you lose weight and look beautiful. As a researcher from the Farncombe Family Digestive Health Research Institute, I’m well aware that there is […]

Read More about Dietary Fibre Affects More Than Your Colon: How the Immune System, Brain and Overall Health Benefit Too

4 min read

What’s the Best Diet for Healthy Sleep? A Nutritional Epidemiologist Explains What Food Choices Will Help You Get More Restful Z’s
By Erica Jansen Diet and Nutrition News & Advice

What’s the Best Diet for Healthy Sleep? A Nutritional Epidemiologist Explains What Food Choices Will Help You Get More Restful Z’s

You probably already know that how you eat before bed affects your sleep. Maybe you’ve found yourself still lying awake at 2 a.m. after enjoying a cup of coffee with dessert. But did you know that your eating choices throughout the day may also affect your sleep at night? In fact, more and more evidence […]

Read More about What’s the Best Diet for Healthy Sleep? A Nutritional Epidemiologist Explains What Food Choices Will Help You Get More Restful Z’s

5 min read

Does an Apple a Day Really Keep the Doctor Away? A Nutritionist Explains the Science Behind ‘Functional’ Foods
By Janet Colson Diet and Nutrition News & Advice

Does an Apple a Day Really Keep the Doctor Away? A Nutritionist Explains the Science Behind ‘Functional’ Foods

We’ve all heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but how true is that? Apples are not high in vitamin A, nor are they beneficial for vision like carrots. They are not a great source of vitamin C and therefore don’t fight off colds as oranges do. However, apples contain various bioactive […]

Read More about Does an Apple a Day Really Keep the Doctor Away? A Nutritionist Explains the Science Behind ‘Functional’ Foods

6 min read