Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2019;38(1):31-33.
doi: 10.12938/bmfh.18-009. Epub 2018 Aug 30.

Combination probiotics may prevent Clostridium difficile infection among elderly patients undergoing an orthopedic surgery

Takahiko Nagamine  1   2 , Yoshinobu Matsumoto  2 , Masaru Nakamura  3
Affiliations

Combination probiotics may prevent Clostridium difficile infection among elderly patients undergoing an orthopedic surgery

Takahiko Nagamine et al. Biosci Microbiota Food Health. 2019.

Abstract

The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is greater in elderly orthopedic patients. We conducted a retrospective case-control study by selecting elderly patients who underwent proximal femoral fracture surgery to investigate the effect of probiotics on CDI prevention. Cases were diagnosed with CDI by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for C. difficile toxins using frozen stool specimens. The primary method of exposure was receipt of combination probiotics such as Streptococcus faecalis, Bacillus mesentericus, and Clostridium butyricum. The crude odds ratio between developing CDI and receiving combination probiotics was 0.074 (95% CI: 0.010-0.565; p=0.002). Adjunctive combination probiotics among elderly patients who undergo proximal femoral fracture surgery likely reduces the probability of CDI.

Keywords: Clostridium difficile infection; combination probiotics; elderly patient; orthopedic surgery.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for each item.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Bovonratwet P, Bohl DD, Malpani R, Nam D, Della Valle CJ, Grauer JN. 2018. Incidence, risk factors, and impact of Clostridium difficile colitis following primary total hip and knee arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty 33: 205–210.e1. - PubMed
    1. Davies KA, Ashwin H, Longshaw CM, Burns DA, Davis GL, Wilcox MH, EUCLID study group. 2016. Diversity of Clostridium difficile PCR ribotypes in Europe: results from the European, multicentre, prospective, biannual, point-prevalence study of Clostridium difficile infection in hospitalised patients with diarrhoea (EUCLID), 2012 and 2013. Euro Surveill 21. - PubMed
    1. Wilcox MH, Chalmers JD, Nord CE, Freeman J, Bouza E. 2017. Role of cephalosporins in the era of Clostridium difficile infection. J Antimicrob Chemother 72: 1–18. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Evans CT, Johnson S. 2015. Prevention of Clostridium difficile infection with probiotics. Clin Infect Dis 60 Suppl 2: S122–S128. - PubMed
    1. Ahmed I, Khan MA, Allgar V, Mohsen A. 2016. The effectiveness and safety of two prophylactic antibiotic regimes in hip-fracture surgery. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 26: 483–492. - PubMed