Table 3.

Summary estimates and 95%CIs for effects of different probiotics formulation.

Outcomes	Number of studies	Case		OR (95%CIs)	Z-test (p value)	χ 2	HG∗p value
		Probiotics	Placebo
Multistrain probiotic combination
Total infections	2	114	110	0.30 [0.15, 0.61]	0.0009	0.24	0.62
Surgical site infection (SSI)	—	254	252	0.48 [0.25, 0.89]	0.02	4.12	0.66
Incision infection	5	204	202	0.38 [0.19, 0.76]	0.006	1.10	0.89
Organ/space SSI	2	50	50	2.43 [0.34, 17.15]	0.37	0.04	0.84
Nonsurgical site infection (NSSI)	—	577	569	0.36 [0.23, 0.56]	<0.00001	5.35	0.80
Urinary tract infection	2	159	155	0.34 [0.13, 0.90]	0.03	1.46	0.23
Pneumonia	4	209	207	0.27 [0.11, 0.63]	0.003	0.37	0.95
Bacteremia	4	209	207	0.44 [0.23, 0.85]	0.01	2.59	0.46
Bacterial translocation	2	95	97	0.28 [0.08, 1.01]	0.05	3.03	0.08
Anastomotic leakage	2	114	110	0.14 [0.02, 0.81]	0.03	0.04	0.83
Non-multistrain combination
Total infections	3	283	307	0.74 [0.50, 1.09]	0.13	2.05	0.36
Surgical site infection (SSI)	—	551	596	0.77 [0.52, 1.12]	0.17	2.60	0.63
Incision infection	2	268	289	0.79 [0.48, 1.31]	0.36	0.76	0.38
Organ/space SSI	3	283	307	0.73 [0.41, 1.31]	0.29	1.86	0.40
Urinary tract infection	1	15	18	1.21 [0.07. 21.22]	0.89	—	—
Anastomotic leakage	2	268	289	1.49 [0.78, 2.86]	0.23	0.85	0.36

^∗HG: heterogeneity, χ² test with a p  value < 0.10 indicated significant heterogeneity across studies.