UK experts recommend probiotics to deal with diarrhea associated with antibiotic use

An UK expert panel has issued a report recommending that patients taking antibiotics, especially those being treated in hospital, should take a clinically-proven daily probiotic drink. At a meeting which took place at the Royal Society of Medicine, London, a panel of eight health experts discussed data on the health benefits of dairy probiotic drinks, and concluded they should be taken by people on antibiotics in hospital as well as the community setting.

Antibiotics can disrupt the normal balance of bacteria living in the intestine, making it easier for harmful bacteria to grow, which is why diarrhea is a common side effect of antibiotics, especially when administered in hospitals where 5%-30% of patients develop this symptom, the rate increasing with broader-spectrum antibiotics. The effect on the patient may include a longer hospital stay, an increased risk of other infections and diseases, as well as significant increases to the costs of patient care.

Probiotics are drinks containing live micro-organisms which confer a health benefit on the host and include Streptococcus thermophilus, Enterococcus species, Saccharomyces species, and various species of lactobacilli and bifidobacteria. Lactobacilli, bifidobacteria, and Streptococcus species have all been clinically evaluated for the prevention or treatment of diarrhea associated with antibiotic use and found to be safe.