Evidence map›Paper›PMID 22559011›Full record

Trial reportBMC infectious diseases2012

A multicentre randomised controlled trial evaluating lactobacilli and bifidobacteria in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in older people admitted to hospital: the PLACIDE study protocol.

Stephen J Allen, Kathie Wareham, Caroline Bradley, Wyn Harris, Anjan Dhar, Helga Brown, Alwyn Foden, Way Yee Cheung, Michael B Gravenor, Sue Plummer and 2 more

Open access · goldAbstract readMulticenter StudyRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMC infectious diseases, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.9field-weighted citation impact, top 9% 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

7 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Observational
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

12 authors at 5 institutions in 1 country.

Stephen J AllenSwansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, UK. s.j.allen@swansea.ac.uk
Kathie Wareham
Caroline Bradley
Wyn Harris
Anjan Dhar
Helga Brown
Alwyn Foden
Way Yee Cheung
Michael B Gravenor
Sue Plummer
Ceri J Phillips
Dietrich Mack
Swansea University · GBCounty Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust · GBDarlington Memorial Hospital · GBMorriston Hospital · GBSwansea Bay University Health Board · GB

Funding

Department of Health 06/39/02
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAntibiotic associated diarrhoea complicates 5-39% of courses of antibiotic treatment. Major risk factors are increased age and admission to hospital. Of particular importance is C. difficile associated diarrhoea which occurs in about 4% of antibiotic courses and may result in severe illness, death and high healthcare costs. The emergence of the more virulent 027 strain of C. difficile has further heightened concerns. Probiotics may prevent antibiotic associated diarrhoea by several mechanisms including colonization resistance through maintaining a healthy gut flora.

methodsThis study aims to test the hypothesis that administration of a probiotic comprising two strains of lactobacilli and two strains of bifidobacteria alongside antibiotic treatment prevents antibiotic associated diarrhoea. We have designed a prospective, parallel group trial where people aged 65 years or more admitted to hospital and receiving one or more antibiotics are randomly allocated to receive either one capsule of the probiotic or a matching placebo daily for 21 days. The primary outcomes are the frequency of antibiotic associated and C. difficile diarrhoea during 8-12 weeks follow-up. To directly inform routine clinical practice, we will recruit a sufficient number of patients to demonstrate a 50% reduction in the frequency of C. difficile diarrhoea with a power of 80%. To maximize the generalizability of our findings and in view of the well-established safety record of probiotics, we will recruit a broad range of medical and surgical in-patients from two different health regions within the UK. DISCUSSION: Antibiotic associated diarrhoea constitutes a significant health burden. In particular, current measures to prevent and control C. difficile diarrhoea are expensive and disrupt clinical care. This trial may have considerable significance for the prevention of antibiotic associated diarrhoea in hospitals.

trial registrationInternational Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Register ISRCTN70017204.

Indexed as

Clinical ProtocolsAdministration, OralAgedAged, 80 and overAnti-Bacterial AgentsBifidobacteriumCapsulesClostridium InfectionsDiarrheaHospitalsHumansInpatientsLactobacillusMalePlacebosProbioticsAnti-Bacterial AgentsCapsulesPlacebos

Identifiers

PMID22559011
PMCPMC3447682
OpenAlexW2140180807

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.