Effect of probiotic yogurt on antibiotic-associated diarrhea among pediatric patients; randomized controlled trial.

Abstract

Background: Diarrhea is a common unfavorable consequence of antibiotics. Probiotic yogurt is equally effective as probiotic capsules, so it may provide a simple and cost-effective means of preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD). The study aimed to evaluate the effect of probiotic yogurt on AAD among pediatric patients.

Materials and methods: The randomized controlled trial design was adopted in this investigation, with a post-test-only control group. Data were obtained from 244 pediatric patients on antibiotics who were admitted to the hospital and included in the trial via full enumeration sampling. Selected subjects were randomly assigned to experimental (n = 122) or control (n = 122) groups. The experimental group received probiotic yogurt for five days, whereas the control group received standard care. The incidence and severity of diarrhea on the fifth day of the intervention were used to determine the study's results. The trial was registered with the Clinical Trials Registry - India (CTRI). Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials (CONSORT) were followed. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Statistical software was used for descriptive and inferential analysis.

Results: AAD occurred in 13.90% and 36.88% of individuals in the experimental and control groups, respectively (odds ratio: p: 0.27:0.001). Further, yogurt intervention was found to be effective in terms of increasing the consistency of the stool (p. 001*), decreasing the duration and onset of diarrhea (P ≤ .001*), reducing the frequency and amount of loose stool (P ≤ .001*), reducing the urgency of defecation (P ≤ .001*), the presence of abdominal discomfort (P ≤ .001*), and dehydration (P ≤ .001*).

Conclusion: In hospitals, antibiotics are commonly prescribed, and the most common side effect of medications is diarrhea. Probiotic yogurt guards against this side effect of antibiotics. Nurse practitioners need to understand the value of probiotic yogurt as a preventive measure that could save children's lives.