Table 1.
Characteristics of the study population in various studies
| Study, year | Study design | Population | Disease severity Score |
Regimen used | Route of administration/duration of intake |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barraud et al., 2010 [30] | SC DBRCT | General/all intubated adult patients under MV ≥ 48 hours | SAPS II:58.6 ± 17.3 vs. 60.5 ± 19.6 | Ergyphilus (Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum) | Enteral feeding tube/entire period of MV and additional days |
| Besselink et al., 2008 [33] | MC DBRCT | Patients with predicted severe acute pancreatitis | APACHE II: 8.6 ± 4.4 vs. 8.4 ± 4.5 |
Ecologic 641 (Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Lactobacillus salivarius,Lactococcus lactis, Bifi dobacterium bifidum, and Bifidobacterium lactis) |
Nasojejunal tube/28 days |
| Forestier et al., 2008 [31] | SC RCT | General/patients (>18 yrs) requiring MV > 48 hours | SAPS II: 4 5± 16 vs. 44 ± 15 | Lactobacillus caseirhamnosus | Nasogastric or orogastric tube/until ICU discharge or death |
| Giamarellos-Bourboulis et al., 2009 [23] | MC DBRCT | Surgical/severe multiple organ injuries necessitating emergency tracheal intubation and ventilation support | APACHE II: 19.36 vs. 19.36 | Synbiotic2000 FORTE (Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei and Lactobacillus plantarum) |
Nasogastric tube or through gastostomy/15 consecutive days post admission |
| Kanazawa et al., 2005 [24] | SC RCT | Surgical/patients with biliary cancer, scheduled to undergo combined liver and extrahepatic bile duct resection with hepaticojejunostomy | NA | Yakult BL Seichōyaku (Bifidobacterium breveStrain Yakult, Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota) |
Intraoperative jejunal feeding catheter/14 days post-surgery |
| Knight et al. 2009, [32] | SC DBRCT | General/patients (> 16yrs) requiring MV > 48 hours | APACHE II: 17 (12-23) vs.17 (12-22) | Synbiotic2000 FORTE (Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei and Lactobacillus plantarum) |
Nasogastric or orogastric tube/until 28 days after ICU admission, discharge or death |
| Morrow et al., 2010 [22] | SC DBRCT | General/patients (> 19 yrs) requiring MV with an endotracheal tube for at least 72 hours | APACHE II: 22.7 ± 7.5 (8-38) vs. 23.7 ± 8.0 (8-41) | Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG | Nasogastric tube/until extubation, tracheostomy placement, or death |
| Rayes et al., 2002 [25] | RCT | Surgical/patients who were scheduled for major abdominal surgery | NA | Lactobacillus plantarum 299 and fibres | Nasojejunal tube/7 days post-surgery |
| Rayes et al., 2005 [26] | DBRCT | Surgical/patients scheduled for liver transplantation | NA | Synbiotic2000 FORTE (Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei and Lactobacillus plantarum) |
Nasojejunal tube/14 days post-surgery |
| Rayes et al., 2007 [27] | MC DBRCT | Surgical/patients who were scheduled for pancreaticoduodenectomy | NA | Synbiotic2000 FORTE (Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei and Lactobacillus plantarum) |
Oral (pre-surgery) and nasojejunal tube (post-surgery)/1 day pre- to 8 days post-surgery |
| Spindler- Vesel et al., 2009 [28] | SC RCT | Surgical/multiple injury patients requiring MV and at least 4 days stay in ICU | APACHE II: 14 (12-19) vs. NA | Synbiotic2000 FORTE (Pediococcus pentosaceus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus paracasei subsp paracasei and Lactobacillus plantarum) |
Intragastric tube/until ICU discharge or death |
| Tan et al., 2011[29] | SC RCT | Surgical/patients with closed head injury only; admission within 24 hours after trauma (18 to 60 yrs) | APACHE II: 14.8 ± 3.6 vs 14.8 ± 3.6 | Golden Bifid (Bifidobacterium longum, Lactobacillus bulgaricus, and Streptococcus thermophilus) |
Nasogastric tube/21 consecutive days |
APACHE: Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation; DB: double-blind; ICU: intensive care unit; MC: multicenter; MV: mechanical ventilation; NA: not available; RCT: randomized control trial; SAPS: Simplified Acute Physiology Score; SC: single-center.