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- Title
Failure of dietary oligofructose to prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
- Authors
Lewis, S.; Burmeister, S.; Cohen, S.; Brazier, J.; Awasthi, A.
- Abstract
: Oligofructose is metabolized by bifidobacteria, increasing their numbers in the colon. High bifidobacteria concentrations are important in providing‘colonization resistance’ against pathogenic bacteria.: To reduce the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in elderly patients.: Patients over the age of 65 taking broad-spectrum antibiotics received either oligofructose or placebo. A baseline stool sample was cultured forClostridium difficileand tested forC. difficiletoxin. A further stool sample was analysed forC. difficileif diarrhoea developed.: No difference was seen in the baseline characteristics, incidence of diarrhoea,C. difficileinfection or hospital stay between the two groups (n = 435). Oligofructose increased bifidobacterial concentrations (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.69–1.72). A total of 116 (27%) patients developed diarrhoea of which 49 (11%) wereC. difficile-positive and were more likely to be taking a cephalosporin (P = 0.006), be female (P < 0.001), to have lost more weight (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.99–2.00) and stayed longer in hospital (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.10–1.40). Amoxicillin (amoxycillin) and clavulanic acid increased diarrhoea not caused byC. difficile(P = 0.006).: Oligofructose does not protect elderly patients receiving broad-spectrum antibiotics from antibiotic-associated diarrhoea whether caused byC. difficileor not. Oligofructose was well-tolerated and increased faecal bifidobacterial concentrations.
- Subjects
FRUCTOSE; DIARRHEA in old age; BIFIDOBACTERIUM; ANTIBIOTICS; THERAPEUTICS; CLINICAL pharmacology
- Publication
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 2005, Vol 21, Issue 4, p469
- ISSN
0269-2813
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1365-2036.2005.02304.x