Evidence map›Paper›PMID 14724157›Full record

Trial reportGut2004

Randomised clinical trial of synbiotic therapy in elective surgical patients.

A D G Anderson, C E McNaught, P K Jain, J MacFie

Open access · bronzeAbstract readClinical TrialRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Gut, 2004. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 58 papers, 10 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
58citing papers in PubMed, 10 pooled it
4.8field-weighted citation impact, top 4% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

58 citing papers in PubMed, 10 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 200 citations in OpenAlex.

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  8. Probiotics and Synbiotics Decrease Postoperative Sepsis in Elective Gastrointestinal Surgical Patients: a Meta-Analysis.Journal of gastrointestinal surgery : official journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract · 2016
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

A D G AndersonCombined Gastroenterology Research Group, Scarborough Hospital, Woodlands Drive, Scarborough YO12 6QL, UK.
C E McNaught
P K Jain
J MacFie
Scarborough General Hospital · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIt is possible to manipulate the composition of the gastrointestinal microflora by administration of pre- and probiotics. This may help to preserve gut barrier function and reduce the incidence of septic morbidity.

aimsTo assess the effects of a combination of pre- and probiotics (synbiotic) on bacterial translocation, gastric colonisation, systemic inflammation, and septic morbidity in elective surgical patients. PATIENTS: Patients were enrolled two weeks prior to elective abdominal surgery. Seventy two patients were randomised to the synbiotic group and 65 to the placebo group. Patients were well matched regarding age and sex distribution, diagnoses, and POSSUM scores.

methodsPatients in the synbiotic group received a two week preoperative course of Lactobacillus acidophilus La5, Bifidobacterium lactis Bb-12, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Lactobacillus bulgaricus, together with the prebiotic oligofructose. Patients in the placebo group received placebo capsules and sucrose powder. At surgery, a nasogastric aspirate, mesenteric lymph node, and scrapings of the terminal ileum were harvested for microbiological analysis. Serum was collected preoperatively and on postoperative days 1 and 7 for measurement of C reactive protein, interleukin 6, and antiendotoxin antibodies. Septic morbidity and mortality were recorded.

resultsThere were no significant differences between the synbiotic and control groups in bacterial translocation (12.1% v 10.7%; p = 0.808, chi(2)), gastric colonisation (41% v 44%; p = 0.719), systemic inflammation, or septic complications (32% v 31%; p = 0.882).

conclusionsIn this study, synbiotics had no measurable effect on gut barrier function in elective surgical patients. Further studies investigating the place of pre- and probiotics in clinical practice are required.

Indexed as

LaparoscopyAgedAged, 80 and overBacterial TranslocationChi-Square DistributionFemaleGastric MucosaHumansLymph NodesMaleMiddle AgedMorbidityPreoperative CareProbioticsProspective StudiesSepsis

Identifiers

PMID14724157
PMCPMC1774935
OpenAlexW2101235165

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.