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Probiotics Could Prevent Fatal Sepsis,
Other Infections: 7 Study Findings
By Max Green
B
urn patients and those undergoing
treatment for other types of trauma may
benefit from including probiotics, or live
beneficial bacteria, as a component of treatment,
according to research from Loyola University's
Chicago Health Sciences Division.
Here are seven findings from the study,
published in the journal PLOS ONE.
e scientists found a significant increase
in a particular type of potentially harmful
bacteria called Enterobacteriaceae in the
gastrointestinal tracts of trauma patients. ey also
recorded a corresponding decrease in beneficial
bacteria that would normally keep bugs like
Enterobacteriaceae in check.
Enterobacteriaceae is a family of bacteria
that includes pathogens such as E. coli and
salmonaella.
Fecal samples taken from severe burn victims
five to 17 days aer their injuries occurred
were compared with samples from a group of
patients who suffered only minor burns. In the
severely burned group, the potentially harmful
bacteria accounted for 31.9 percent of bacteria in
the gut, compared to only 0.5 percent for the minor
burn group.
Imbalances such as this may contribute
to sepsis and other serious infectious
complications that cause 75 percent of all deaths
in severe burn patients, according to Mashkoor
Choudry, PhD, senior author of the paper.
e significant bacterial imbalance in severe
trauma patients may compromise the lining
of the gastrointestinal tract, enabling harmful
bacteria to seep into the bloodstream.
6. Traumatic injury victims may be entering
into a cycle where the body's immune system
mounts an inflammatory response, causing an
imbalance in the bacterial ratio in the gut, which
cause that inflammatory response to ramp up more,
triggering an even greater imbalance.
e researchers are planning further studies
to better determine whether introducing
probiotics could act to interrupt this cycle and help
reduce risk of sepsis and other infections. n
2015
SEPTEMBER IS SEPSIS
AWARENESS MONTH
The CDC recognizes September as Sepsis Awareness Month.
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