New research published in Critical Care shows that including probiotics with nutrients, supplied via the patient's feeding tube, increased interferon levels and reduced the number of infections and amount of time patients spent in intensive care.
In a small-scale trial in China, 52 ICU patients who had suffered traumatic brain injuries were either treated as usual or had their nutrition supplemented with probiotics. Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection.
The researchers concluded probiotic therapy reduced the number of infections occurring after seven days, reduced the number of different antibiotics needed to treat infections and shortened the length of time the patients were required to stay in ICU.
In a small-scale trial in China, 52 ICU patients who had suffered traumatic brain injuries were either treated as usual or had their nutrition supplemented with probiotics. Traumatic brain injury is associated with a profound suppression of the patient's ability to fight infection.
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The researchers concluded probiotic therapy reduced the number of infections occurring after seven days, reduced the number of different antibiotics needed to treat infections and shortened the length of time the patients were required to stay in ICU.
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