%0 Journal Article
%T Lactobacillus reuteri strain ATCC 55730 for the treatment of acute infectious diarrhoea in children: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
%A Anna Chmielewska
%A Marek Ruszczy¨½ski
%A Hanna Szajewska
%J Pediatria Wsp¨®£¿czesna
%D 2008
%I 
%X Alm of study: To determine the effectiveness and safety of a single probiotic strain, Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 U. reuteri), in trea-ting acute infectious diarrhoea in children using systematic review. Material and methods: MEDLINE, EMBASE, and The Cochrane Library (all up to January 2007) were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing L reuteri with placebo or no intervention in children with acute diarrhoea who were otherwise healthy. Results: Two RCTs met the inclusion criteria (106 participants). Both compared intake of L. reuteri to placebo for treatment of acute diarrhoea. None of the trials evaluated stool volume. Combined data showed significant reduction of the duration of diarrhoea. The pooled weighted mean difference (WMD) was -22 hours (95% confidence interval, Cl -38 to -6). The risk of diarrhoea was significantly reduced on day 1 (relative risk, RR 0.88, 95% Cl 0.8 to 0.99), day 2 (RR 0.6, 95% Cl 0.4 to 0.8), day 3 (RR 0.45, 95% Cl 0.3 to 0.8), and day 4 (RR 0.36, 95% Cl 0.1 to 0.7). Conclusions: There exists a moderate clinical effect of Lactobacillus reuteri ATCC 55730 in treating acute infectious diarrhoea in otherwise healthy children. However, the results should be interpreted with caution due to limited number of studies included into analysis and their methodological limitations.
%K probiotics
%K acute gastroenteritis
%K randomized controlled trial
%K systematic review
%U http://cornetis.pl/pliki/PW/2008/1/PW_2008_1_32.pdf