SynthesisDigestive diseases and sciences2021
Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses Assessment of the Clinical Efficacy of Bismuth Subsalicylate for Prevention and Treatment of Infectious Diarrhea.
Synthesis in Digestive diseases and sciences, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04811339 (Pilot and Randomized, Controlled Studies to Assess Stool Frequency of COVID + Patients Treated With Oral Bismuth Subsalicylate), which is not on this map. Cited by 10 papers.
What it found
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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.
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.
Pilot and Randomized, Controlled Studies to Assess Stool Frequency of COVID + Patients Treated With Oral Bismuth Subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol): SABER-C and Lite-SABER-C (Specific Administration of Bismuth for Early Recovery of COVID-19)
Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of bismuth subsalicylate on the prevention of travellers' diarrhoea, 2018-2023.Journal of travel medicine · 2025Trial
- Protective effects of bismuth hydroxide against hemolytic uremic syndrome caused by Shiga toxin producing Escherichia coli.Folia microbiologica · 2026Article
- Adjunctive use ofTranslational gastroenterology and hepatology · 2026Article
- Bismuth subsalicylate profoundly alters gut microbiome and immunity with increased susceptibility to infection.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025Article
- Acute gastroenteritis in adults.Singapore medical journal · 2025Article
- Risk Factors of Developing Postinfectious Irritable Bowel Syndrome in Shigellosis Patients, 5 Years After Hospitalization During the Outbreak.Open forum infectious diseases · 2024Article
- Bioactive Bismuth Compounds: Is Their Toxicity a Barrier to Therapeutic Use?International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Collagen and actin network mediate antiviral immunity against Orsay virus in C. elegans intestinal cells.PLoS pathogens · 2024Article
- Biological Activities of Bismuth Compounds: An Overview of the New Findings and the Old Challenges Not Yet Overcome.Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Review
- Feasibility study of Bismuth Subsalicylate (BSS) as an addition to standard of care for COVID-19 therapy.Current therapeutic research, clinical and experimental · 2022Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA large number of studies have evaluated the pharmacology, safety, and/or efficacy of bismuth subsalicylate for the relief of common gastrointestinal symptoms, diarrhea and vomiting due to acute gastroenteritis. In addition, short-term (48 h) medication with bismuth subsalicylate is known to be effective against infectious gastroenteritis such as travelers' diarrhea.
aimsPrevious studies have documented the bacteriostatic/bactericidal effects of bismuth subsalicylate against a variety of pathogenic gastrointestinal bacteria. However, meta-analyses of the clinical efficacy of bismuth subsalicylate for both prevention and treatment of travelers' diarrhea have not yet been published.
methodsA total of 14 clinical studies (from 1970s to 2007) comprised the core data used in this assessment of efficacy of bismuth subsalicylate against infectious (including travelers') diarrhea. These studies allowed for statistical meta-analyses regarding prevention (three travelers' diarrhea studies) and treatment of infectious diarrhea (11 studies [five travelers' diarrhea]).
resultsThe results show that subjects treated with bismuth subsalicylate for up to 21 days have 3.5 times greater odds of preventing travelers' diarrhea compared with placebo (95% CI 2.1, 5.9; p < 0.001). In addition, subjects with infectious diarrhea treated with bismuth subsalicylate had 3.7 times greater odds of diarrhea relief (recorded on diaries as subjective symptomatic improvement) compared to those receiving placebo (95% CI 2.1, 6.3; p < 0.001).
conclusionsThis systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that bismuth subsalicylate can be beneficial for those at risk or affected by food and waterborne diarrheal disease such as traveler's (infectious) diarrhea, and may decrease the risk of inappropriate antibiotic utilization.
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Registered trials
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.