Table 2.

Pooled estimates of probiotic/synbiotic effects on CRP and length of stay in ICU within different subgroups.

Group	No. of comparisons	SMD (95% CI)	P value	I 2 (%)	P heterogeneity
CRP
Intervention duration (day)
<21	3	−1.384 (−2.670, −0.097)	0.035	93.8	≤0.001
≥21	2	−0.722 (−1.166, −0.277)	0.001	0	0.785
Mean age (year)
>40	3	−0.742 (−1.061, −0.423)	≤0.001	7.2	0.340
≤40	2	−1.720 (−3.817, 0.378)	0.108	94.7	≤0.001
Supplement type
Multistrain probiotic	2	−1.771 (−3.743, 0.202)	0.078	95.4	≤0.001
Synbiotic	2	−0.716 (−1.254, −0.178)	0.009	53.4	0.143
Length of stay in the ICU
Mean age (year)
≥40	2	−0.313 (−1.206, 0.581)	0.493	82.7	0.016
<40	2	−0.094 (−1.178, 0.990)	0.866	90.3	0.001
Supplement type
Multistrain	3	−0.280 (−1.020, 0.460)	0.458	84.6	0.002
Synbiotic	2	−0.313 (−1.206, 0.581)	0.493	82.7	0.016

CRP, C-reactive protein; ICU, intensive care unit; SMD, standard mean difference.