Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36380186›Full record

Trial reportPaediatric drugs2023

Efficacy and Safety of the Adjuvant Use of Probiotic Bacillus clausii Strains in Pediatric Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Rodrigo Vázquez-Frias, Alejandra Consuelo-Sánchez, Carlos Patricio Acosta-Rodríguez-Bueno, Andrés Blanco-Montero, Daniel Casas Robles, Vanessa Cohen, Daniel Márquez, Marcos Perez

Open access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled TrialClinical Trial, Phase III
In one paragraph

Trial report in Paediatric drugs, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed, 4 pooled it
4.0field-weighted citation impact, top 5% 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

16 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 26 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Guideline
  4. Guideline
  5. Trial
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Biomolecules · 2025
    Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Effects ofNutrients · 2024
    Article
  15. Review
  16. Review
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

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Rodrigo Vázquez-FriasDepartamento de Gastroenterología y Nutrición, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, National Health Institute, Mexico City, Mexico. rovaf@yahoo.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1278-073X
Alejandra Consuelo-SánchezDepartamento de Gastroenterología y Nutrición, Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez, National Health Institute, Mexico City, Mexico.
Carlos Patricio Acosta-Rodríguez-BuenoServicio de Pediatría Mixta, Hospital Infantil de México Fedrico Gómez Instituto Nacional de Salud, Mexico City, Mexico.
Andrés Blanco-MonteroClínica Pediatrica Pigüi, Mexico City, Mexico.
Daniel Casas RoblesStarmedica Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico.
Vanessa CohenSanofi, Mexico City, Mexico.
Daniel MárquezSanofi, Mexico City, Mexico.
Marcos PerezSanofi, Frankfurt, Germany.
Hospital Infantil de México Federico Gómez · MXSanofi (Mexico) · MXSanofi (Germany) · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesCurrent irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) treatments have limited efficacy and probiotics like Bacillus clausii (B. clausii) were found to be effective in the management of several gastrointestinal disorders. This phase III trial assessed the efficacy and safety of adding B. clausii (four strains: O/C, N/R, SIN, T), versus placebo, to conventional treatment of pediatric IBS in Mexico.

methodsPatients aged 6-17 years 11 months with IBS (Rome IV) for at least 2 months were randomized to receive either B. clausii (oral suspension, total dose 4 billion spores/day) or placebo once daily for 8 weeks. All patients also received conventional treatment. The primary endpoint was the difference in the proportion of patients with clinical improvements at Week 8 (Global Assessment Questions [GAQ]). Secondary endpoints included responders by Subject's Global Assessment of Relief for Children with IBS (SGARC); number/consistency of stools; abdominal distention/bloating; abdominal pain/intensity; and IBS behavior.

results73.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 67.3-80.0; B. clausii n = 129) and 78.5% (95% CI 72.5-84.4; placebo n = 130) of patients had symptom improvement (p = 0.8182). For Week 8 SGARC, 19.2% (B. clausii) and 20.9% (placebo) reported complete symptom relief. Stool evaluations, bloating, abdominal pain/intensity, and IBS behavior were similar between groups. Both treatments were well tolerated.

conclusionNo significant differences in efficacy between B. clausii and placebo were demonstrated in addition to conventional treatment. The sample size calculation was based on an expected placebo/conventional treatment response of 30-40%. However, the actual treatment response observed was 80% and, thus, a study with larger population would be warranted. In addition, this study was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, when such controlled social conditions may have resulted in better diet, greater family stability, less psychological stress, and lower risk of infections exacerbating IBS, thereby improving symptoms in both groups. EUDRACT NUMBER: 2018-004519-31.

Indexed as

Bacillus clausiiCOVID-19Irritable Bowel SyndromeProbioticsAbdominal PainChildDouble-Blind MethodHumansPandemicsTreatment Outcome

Identifiers

PMID36380186
PMCPMC9666949
OpenAlexW4309197267

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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.