Displaying publications 21 - 40 of 58 in total

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  1. Lam SK, Chua KB
    Clin Infect Dis, 2002 May 1;34 Suppl 2:S48-51.
    PMID: 11938496 DOI: 10.1086/338818
    Emerging infectious diseases involving zoonosis have become important global health problems. The 1998 outbreak of severe febrile encephalitis among pig farmers in Malaysia caused by a newly emergent paramyxovirus, Nipah virus, is a good example. This disease has the potential to spread to other countries through infected animals and can cause considerable economic loss. The clinical presentation includes segmental myoclonus, areflexia, hypertension, and tachycardia, and histologic evidence includes endothelial damage and vasculitis of the brain and other major organs. Magnetic resonance imaging has demonstrated the presence of discrete high-signal-intensity lesions disseminated throughout the brain. Nipah virus causes syncytial formation in Vero cells and is antigenically related to Hendra virus. The Island flying fox (Pteropus hypomelanus; the fruit bat) is a likely reservoir of this virus. The outbreak in Malaysia was controlled through the culling of >1 million pigs.
  2. Ooi MH, Wong SC, Clear D, Perera D, Krishnan S, Preston T, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 2003 Mar 1;36(5):550-9.
    PMID: 12594634
    We report the virological and clinical features of 8 children who presented with adenovirus-associated acute flaccid paralysis (AFP) during an epidemic of enterovirus type 71 (EV71)-associated hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) in Sarawak, Malaysia, in 1997. Neutralization tests and phylogenetic analysis revealed adenovirus type 21 (Ad21), although DNA restriction digests suggested that this virus was different from the prototype Ad21. Four children had upper-limb monoparesis, 2 had lower-limb monoparesis (one of whom had changes in the anterior spinal cord noted on magnetic resonance imaging), and 2 had flaccid paraparesis. At follow-up, 4 children were noted to have made full recoveries and 3 had residual flaccid weakness and wasting. Neurophysiological investigation revealed a mixture of axonal and demyelinating features in motor and sensory nerves, with denervation. These findings suggest that Ad21 might cause AFP by anterior horn cell damage or neuropathy of the brachial or lumbosacral plexus. The occurrence of these unusual adenovirus infections during an outbreak of EV71-associated HFMD suggests that an interaction between the 2 viruses may have occurred.
  3. Song JH, Lee NY, Ichiyama S, Yoshida R, Hirakata Y, Fu W, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 1999 Jun;28(6):1206-11.
    PMID: 10451154
    Antimicrobial susceptibility of 996 isolates of Streptococcus pneumoniae from clinical specimens was investigated in 11 Asian countries from September 1996 to June 1997. Korea had the greatest frequency of nonsusceptible strains to penicillin with 79.7%, followed by Japan (65.3%), Vietnam (60.8%), Thailand (57.9%), Sri Lanka (41.2%), Taiwan (38.7%), Singapore (23.1%), Indonesia (21.0%), China (9.8%), Malaysia (9.0%), and India (3.8%). Serotypes 23F and 19F were the most common. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) of 154 isolates from Asian countries showed several major PFGE patterns. The serotype 23F Spanish clone shared the same PFGE pattern with strains from Korea, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Malaysia. Fingerprinting analysis of pbp1a, pbp2x, and pbp2b genes of 12 strains from six countries also showed identical fingerprints of penicillin-binding protein genes in most strains. These data suggest the possible introduction and spread of international epidemic clones into Asian countries and the increasing problems of pneumococcal drug resistance in Asian countries for the first time.
  4. Appelbaum PC
    Clin Infect Dis, 1992 Jul;15(1):77-83.
    PMID: 1617076
    Clinical resistance to penicillin in Streptococcus pneumoniae was first reported by researchers in Boston in 1965; subsequently, this phenomenon was reported from Australia (1967) and South Africa (1977). Since these early reports, penicillin resistance has been encountered with increasing frequency in strains of S. pneumoniae from around the world. In South Africa strains resistant to penicillin and chloramphenicol as well as multiresistant strains have been isolated. Similar patterns of resistance have been reported from Spain. Preliminary evidence points to a high prevalence of resistant pneumococci in Hungary, other countries of Eastern Europe, and some countries in other areas of Europe, notably France. In the United States most reports of resistant pneumococci come from Alaska and the South, but resistance is increasing in other states and in Canada. Pneumococcal resistance has also been described in Zambia, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Chile, and Brazil; information from other African, Asian, and South American countries is not available. The rising prevalence of penicillin-resistant pneumococci worldwide mandates selective susceptibility testing and epidemiological investigations during outbreaks.
  5. Chye JK, Lim CT, Ng KB, Lim JM, George R, Lam SK
    Clin Infect Dis, 1997 Dec;25(6):1374-7.
    PMID: 9431381
    Dengue, an important mosquito-borne flavivirus infection, is endemic in Southeast Asia. We describe two mothers who had acute dengue 4 and 8 days before the births of their infants. One mother had worsening of her proteinuric pregnancy-induced hypertension, liver dysfunction, and coagulopathy and required multiple transfusions of whole blood, platelets, and fresh frozen plasma. Her male infant was ill at birth, developed respiratory distress and a large uncontrollable left intracerebral hemorrhage, and died of multiorgan failure on day 6 of life. Dengue virus type 2 was isolated from the infant's blood, and IgM antibody specific to dengue virus was detected in the mother's blood. The second mother had a milder clinical course; she gave birth to a female infant who was thrombocytopenic at birth and had an uneventful hospitalization. Dengue virus type 2 was recovered from the mother's blood, and IgM antibody specific to dengue virus was detected in the infant's blood. This report highlights not only the apparently rare occurrence of vertical transmission of dengue virus in humans but also the potential risk of death for infected neonates.
  6. Choo KE, Oppenheimer SJ, Ismail AB, Ong KH
    Clin Infect Dis, 1994 Jul;19(1):172-6.
    PMID: 7948526
    A dot enzyme immunoassay (EIA) using 50-kD outer-membrane proteins (OMPs) of Salmonella typhi was compared with the Widal test for the serodiagnosis of typhoid fever in 109 febrile children admitted to a hospital in an endemic area. In the culture-positive typhoid group, the initial dot EIA was positive in 40 of 42 cases and the initial Widal test was positive in 41. In the culture-negative clinical typhoid group, both the dot EIA and the Widal test were positive in 17 of 18 cases. In the nontyphoidal fever group, the dot EIA was negative in all of 49 cases and the Widal test was negative in 44. With culture used as the gold standard, the dot EIA is as sensitive as the Widal test (95% vs. 98%), has a similar high negative predictive value (96% vs. 98%), and is more specific (75% vs. 67%). In addition, the dot EIA offers the advantages of simplicity, speed, early diagnosis, economy, and flexibility (i.e., other diagnostic tests can be conducted simultaneously).
  7. Archuleta S, Chia PY, Wei Y, Syed-Omar SF, Low JG, Oh HM, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 2020 07 11;71(2):383-389.
    PMID: 31626692 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz850
    BACKGROUND: Platelet transfusion is common in dengue patients with thrombocytopenia. We previously showed in a randomized clinical trial that prophylactic platelet transfusion did not reduce clinical bleeding. In this study, we aimed to characterize the predictors and clinical outcomes of poor platelet recovery in transfused and nontransfused participants.

    METHODS: We analyzed patients from the Adult Dengue Platelet Study with laboratory-confirmed dengue with ≤20 000 platelets/μL and without persistent mild bleeding or any severe bleeding in a post hoc analysis. Poor platelet recovery was defined as a platelet count of ≤20 000/μL on Day 2. We recruited 372 participants from 5 acute care hospitals located in Singapore and Malaysia between 29 April 2010 and 9 December 2014. Of these, 188 were randomly assigned to the transfusion group and 184 to the control group.

    RESULTS: Of 360 patients, 158 had poor platelet recovery. Age, white cell count, and day of illness at study enrollment were significant predictors of poor platelet recovery after adjustment for baseline characteristics and platelet transfusion. Patients with poor platelet recovery had longer hospitalizations but no significant difference in other clinical outcomes, regardless of transfusion. We found a significant interaction between platelet recovery and transfusion; patients with poor platelet recovery were more likely to bleed if given a prophylactic platelet transfusion (odds ratio 2.34, 95% confidence interval 1.18-4.63).

    CONCLUSIONS: Dengue patients with thrombocytopenia who were older or presented earlier and with lower white cell counts were more likely to have poor platelet recovery. In patients with poor platelet recovery, platelet transfusion does not improve outcomes and may actually increase the risk of bleeding. The mechanisms of poor platelet recovery need to be determined.

    CLINICAL TRIALS REGISTRATION: NCT01030211.

  8. Ooi MH, Ngu SJ, Chor YK, Li J, Landersdorfer CB, Nation RL
    Clin Infect Dis, 2019 11 13;69(11):1962-1968.
    PMID: 30722017 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz067
    BACKGROUND: Intravenous colistin is widely used to treat infections in pediatric patients. Unfortunately, there is a paucity of pharmacological information to guide the selection of dosage regimens. The daily dose recommended by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) is the same body weight-based dose traditionally used in adults. The aim was to increase our understanding of the patient factors that influence the plasma concentration of colistin, and assess the likely appropriateness of the FDA and EMA dosage recommendations.

    METHODS: There were 5 patients, with a median age of 1.75 (range 0.1-6.25) years, a median weight of 10.7 (2.9-21.5) kg, and a median creatinine clearance of 179 (44-384) mL/min/1.73m2, who received intravenous infusions of colistimethate each 8 hours. The median daily dose was 0.21 (0.20-0.21) million international units/kg, equivalent to 6.8 (6.5-6.9) mg of colistin base activity per kg/day. Plasma concentrations of colistimethate and formed colistin were subjected to population pharmacokinetic modeling to explore the patient factors influencing the concentration of colistin.

    RESULTS: The median, average, steady-state plasma concentration of colistin (Css,avg) was 0.88 mg/L; individual values ranged widely (0.41-3.50 mg/L), even though all patients received the same body weight-based daily dose. Although the daily doses were ~33% above the upper limit of the FDA- and EMA-recommended dose range, only 2 patients achieved Css,avg ≥2mg/L; the remaining 3 patients had Css,avg <1mg/L. The pharmacokinetic covariate analysis revealed that clearances of colistimethate and colistin were related to creatinine clearance.

    CONCLUSIONS: The FDA and EMA dosage recommendations may be suboptimal for many pediatric patients. Renal functioning is an important determinant of dosing in these patients.

  9. Roberts JA, Joynt GM, Lee A, Choi G, Bellomo R, Kanji S, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 2021 04 26;72(8):1369-1378.
    PMID: 32150603 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa224
    BACKGROUND: The optimal dosing of antibiotics in critically ill patients receiving renal replacement therapy (RRT) remains unclear. In this study, we describe the variability in RRT techniques and antibiotic dosing in critically ill patients receiving RRT and relate observed trough antibiotic concentrations to optimal targets.

    METHODS: We performed a prospective, observational, multinational, pharmacokinetic study in 29 intensive care units from 14 countries. We collected demographic, clinical, and RRT data. We measured trough antibiotic concentrations of meropenem, piperacillin-tazobactam, and vancomycin and related them to high- and low-target trough concentrations.

    RESULTS: We studied 381 patients and obtained 508 trough antibiotic concentrations. There was wide variability (4-8-fold) in antibiotic dosing regimens, RRT prescription, and estimated endogenous renal function. The overall median estimated total renal clearance (eTRCL) was 50 mL/minute (interquartile range [IQR], 35-65) and higher eTRCL was associated with lower trough concentrations for all antibiotics (P < .05). The median (IQR) trough concentration for meropenem was 12.1 mg/L (7.9-18.8), piperacillin was 78.6 mg/L (49.5-127.3), tazobactam was 9.5 mg/L (6.3-14.2), and vancomycin was 14.3 mg/L (11.6-21.8). Trough concentrations failed to meet optimal higher limits in 26%, 36%, and 72% and optimal lower limits in 4%, 4%, and 55% of patients for meropenem, piperacillin, and vancomycin, respectively.

    CONCLUSIONS: In critically ill patients treated with RRT, antibiotic dosing regimens, RRT prescription, and eTRCL varied markedly and resulted in highly variable antibiotic concentrations that failed to meet therapeutic targets in many patients.

  10. Rao M, Rashid FA, Sabri FSAH, Jamil NN, Zain R, Hashim R, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 2021 05 04;72(9):e352-e356.
    PMID: 32761244 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1156
    BACKGROUND: The ideal severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARs-CoV-2) testing method would be accurate and also be patient-performed to reduce exposure to healthcare workers. The aim of this study was to compare patient-performed testing based on a morning saliva sample with the current standard testing method, healthcare worker-collected sampling via a nasopharyngeal swab (NPS).

    METHODS: This was a prospective single center study which recruited 217 asymptomatic adult male participants in a coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quarantine center who had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 8-10 days prior to isolation. Paired NPS and saliva specimens were collected and processed within 5 hours of sample collection. Real time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) targeting Envelope (E) and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) genes was performed and the results were compared.

    RESULTS: Overall, 160 of the 217 (74%) participants tested positive for COVID-19 based on saliva, NPS, or both testing methods. The detection rate for SARS-CoV-2 was higher in saliva compared to NPS testing (93.1%, 149/160 vs 52.5%, 84/160, P < .001). The concordance between the 2 tests was 45.6% (virus was detected in both saliva and NPS in 73/160), whereas 47.5% were discordant (87/160 tested positive for 1 whereas negative for the other). The cycle threshold (Ct) values for E and RdRp genes were significantly lower in saliva specimens compared to NP swab specimens.

    CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that saliva is a better alternative specimen for detection of SARS-CoV-2. Taking into consideration, the simplicity of specimen collection, shortage of PPE and the transmissibility of the virus, saliva could enable self-collection for an accurate SARS-CoV-2 surveillance testing.

  11. Rajahram GS, Cooper DJ, William T, Grigg MJ, Anstey NM, Barber BE
    Clin Infect Dis, 2019 10 30;69(10):1703-1711.
    PMID: 30624597 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz011
    BACKGROUND: Plasmodium knowlesi causes severe and fatal malaria, and incidence in Southeast Asia is increasing. Factors associated with death are not clearly defined.

    METHODS: All malaria deaths in Sabah, Malaysia, from 2015 to 2017 were identified from mandatory reporting to the Sabah Department of Health. Case notes were reviewed, and a systematic review of these and all previously reported fatal P. knowlesi cases was conducted. Case fatality rates (CFRs) during 2010-2017 were calculated using incidence data from the Sabah Department of Health.

    RESULTS: Six malaria deaths occurred in Sabah during 2015-2017, all from P. knowlesi. Median age was 40 (range, 23-58) years; 4 cases (67%) were male. Three (50%) had significant cardiovascular comorbidities and 1 was pregnant. Delays in administering appropriate therapy contributed to 3 (50%) deaths. An additional 26 fatal cases were included in the systematic review. Among all 32 cases, 18 (56%) were male; median age was 56 (range, 23-84) years. Cardiovascular-metabolic disease, microscopic misdiagnosis, and delay in commencing intravenous treatment were identified in 11 of 32 (34%), 26 of 29 (90%), and 11 of 31 (36%) cases, respectively. The overall CFR during 2010-2017 was 2.5/1000: 6.0/1000 for women and 1.7/1000 for men (P = .01). Independent risk factors for death included female sex (odds ratio, 2.6; P = .04), and age ≥45 years (odds ratio, 4.7; P < .01).

    CONCLUSIONS: Earlier presentation, more rapid diagnosis, and administration of intravenous artesunate may avoid fatal outcomes, particularly in females, older adults, and patients with cardiovascular comorbidities.

  12. Cooper DJ, Rajahram GS, William T, Jelip J, Mohammad R, Benedict J, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 2020 01 16;70(3):361-367.
    PMID: 30889244 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciz237
    BACKGROUND: Malaysia aims to eliminate malaria by 2020. However, while cases of Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax have decreased substantially, the incidence of zoonotic malaria from Plasmodium knowlesi continues to increase, presenting a major challenge to regional malaria control efforts. Here we report incidence of all Plasmodium species in Sabah, including zoonotic P. knowlesi, during 2015-2017.

    METHODS: Microscopy-based malaria notification data and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) results were obtained from the Sabah Department of Health and State Public Health Laboratory, respectively, from January 2015 to December 2017. From January 2016 this was complemented by a statewide prospective hospital surveillance study. Databases were matched, and species was determined by PCR, or microscopy if PCR was not available.

    RESULTS: A total of 3867 malaria cases were recorded between 2015 and 2017, with PCR performed in 93%. Using PCR results, and microscopy if PCR was unavailable, P. knowlesi accounted for 817 (80%), 677 (88%), and 2030 (98%) malaria cases in 2015, 2016, and 2017, respectively. P. falciparum accounted for 110 (11%), 45 (6%), and 23 (1%) cases and P. vivax accounted for 61 (6%), 17 (2%), and 8 (0.4%) cases, respectively. Of those with P. knowlesi, the median age was 35 (interquartile range: 24-47) years, and 85% were male.

    CONCLUSIONS: Malaysia is approaching elimination of the human-only Plasmodium species. However, the ongoing increase in P. knowlesi incidence presents a major challenge to malaria control and warrants increased focus on knowlesi-specific prevention activities. Wider molecular surveillance in surrounding countries is required.

  13. Grigg MJ, William T, Barber BE, Rajahram GS, Menon J, Schimann E, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 2018 07 18;67(3):350-359.
    PMID: 29873683 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciy065
    Background: Plasmodium knowlesi is increasingly reported in Southeast Asia, but prospective studies of its clinical spectrum in children and comparison with autochthonous human-only Plasmodium species are lacking.

    Methods: Over 3.5 years, we prospectively assessed patients of any age with molecularly-confirmed Plasmodium monoinfection presenting to 3 district hospitals in Sabah, Malaysia.

    Results: Of 481 knowlesi, 172 vivax, and 96 falciparum malaria cases enrolled, 44 (9%), 71 (41%), and 31 (32%) children aged ≤12 years. Median parasitemia was lower in knowlesi malaria (2480/μL [interquartile range, 538-8481/μL]) than in falciparum (9600/μL; P < .001) and vivax malaria. In P. knowlesi, World Health Organization-defined anemia was present in 82% (95% confidence interval [CI], 67%-92%) of children vs 36% (95% CI, 31%-41%) of adults. Severe knowlesi malaria occurred in 6.4% (95% CI, 3.9%-8.3%) of adults but not in children; the commenst severity criterion was acute kideny injury. No patient had coma. Age, parasitemia, schizont proportion, abdominal pain, and dyspnea were independently associated with severe knowlesi malaria, with parasitemia >15000/μL the best predictor (adjusted odds ratio, 16.1; negative predictive value, 98.5%; P < .001). Two knowlesi-related adult deaths occurred (fatality rate: 4.2/1000 adults).

    Conclusions: Age distribution and parasitemia differed markedly in knowlesi malaria compared to human-only species, with both uncomplicated and severe disease occurring at low parasitemia. Severe knowlesi malaria occurred only in adults; however, anemia was more common in children despite lower parasitemia. Parasitemia independently predicted knowlesi disease severity: Intravenous artesunate is warranted initially for those with parasitemia >15000/μL.

  14. Guaraldi G, Milic J, Martinez E, Kamarulzaman A, Mussini C, Waters L, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 2020 Dec 19.
    PMID: 33340037 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1864
    The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global challenge that substantially risks reversing the progress in ending HIV. At the same time, it may offer the opportunity for a new era of HIV management. This viewpoint presents the impact of COVID-19 on HIV care, including the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) "three 90s" targets. It outlines how to enhance a patient-centered care approach, now known as the "fourth 90," by integrating face-to-face patient-physician and telemedicine encounters. It suggests a framework for prevention and treatment of multimorbidity and frailty, to achieve a good health-related quality of life and preserve intrinsic capacity in all people living with HIV.
  15. Zelenev A, Li J, Shea P, Hecht R, Altice FL
    Clin Infect Dis, 2021 03 01;72(5):755-763.
    PMID: 32060534 DOI: 10.1093/cid/ciaa142
    BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment as prevention (TasP) strategies can contribute to HCV microelimination, yet complimentary interventions such as opioid agonist therapies (OAT) with methadone or buprenorphine and syringe services programs (SSPs) may improve the prevention impact. This modeling study estimates the impact of scaling up the combination of OAT and SSPs with HCV TasP in a network of people who inject drugs (PWID) in the United States.

    METHODS: Using empirical data from Hartford, Connecticut, we deployed a stochastic block model to simulate an injection network of 1574 PWID. We used a susceptible-infected model for HCV and human immunodeficiency virus to evaluate the effectiveness of several HCV TasP strategies, including in combination with OAT and SSP scale-up, over 20 years.

    RESULTS: At the highest HCV prevalence (75%), when OAT coverage is increased from 10% to 40%, combined with HCV treatment of 10% per year and SSP scale up to 40%, the time to achieve microelimination is reduced from 18.4 to 11.6 years. At the current HCV prevalence (60%), HCV TasP strategies as low as 10% coverage per year may achieve HCV microelimination within 10 years, with minimal impact from additional OAT scale-up. Strategies based on mass initial HCV treatment (50 per 100 PWID the first year followed by 5 per 100 PWID thereafter) were most effective in settings with HCV prevalence of 60% or lower.

    CONCLUSIONS: Scale-up of HCV TasP is the most effective strategy for microelimination of HCV. OAT scale-up, however, scale-up may be synergistic toward achieving microelimination goals when HCV prevalence exceeds 60% and when HCV treatment coverage is 10 per 100 PWID per year or lower.

  16. Boettiger DC, Muktiarti D, Kurniati N, Truong KH, Saghayam S, Ly PS, et al.
    Clin Infect Dis, 2016 Nov 01;63(9):1236-1244.
    PMID: 27470239
    BACKGROUND:  The growth benefits of cotrimoxazole during early antiretroviral therapy (ART) are not well characterized.

    METHODS:  Individuals enrolled in the Therapeutics Research, Education, and AIDS Training in Asia Pediatric HIV Observational Database were included if they started ART at ages 1 month-14 years and had both height and weight measurements available at ART initiation (baseline). Generalized estimating equations were used to identify factors associated with change in height-for-age z-score (HAZ), follow-up HAZ ≥ -2, change in weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), and follow-up WAZ ≥ -2.

    RESULTS:  A total of 3217 children were eligible for analysis. The adjusted mean change in HAZ among cotrimoxazole and non-cotrimoxazole users did not differ significantly over the first 24 months of ART. In children who were stunted (HAZ < -2) at baseline, cotrimoxazole use was not associated with a follow-up HAZ ≥ -2. The adjusted mean change in WAZ among children with a baseline CD4 percentage (CD4%) >25% became significantly different between cotrimoxazole and non-cotrimoxazole users after 6 months of ART and remained significant after 24 months (overall P < .01). Similar changes in WAZ were observed in those with a baseline CD4% between 10% and 24% (overall P < .01). Cotrimoxazole use was not associated with a significant difference in follow-up WAZ in children with a baseline CD4% <10%. In those underweight (WAZ < -2) at baseline, cotrimoxazole use was associated with a follow-up WAZ ≥ -2 (adjusted odds ratio, 1.70 vs not using cotrimoxazole [95% confidence interval, 1.28-2.25], P < .01). This association was driven by children with a baseline CD4% ≥10%.

    CONCLUSIONS:  Cotrimoxazole use is associated with benefits to WAZ but not HAZ during early ART in Asian children.

  17. Kasatpibal N, Whitney JD, Saokaew S, Kengkla K, Heitkemper MM, Apisarnthanarak A
    Clin Infect Dis, 2017 May 15;64(suppl_2):S153-S160.
    PMID: 28475793 DOI: 10.1093/cid/cix114
    Background: Microbiome-directed therapies are increasingly used preoperatively and postoperatively to improve postoperative outcomes. Recently, the effectiveness of probiotics, prebiotics, and synbiotics in reducing postoperative complications (POCs) has been questioned. This systematic review aimed to examine and rank the effectiveness of these therapies on POCs in adult surgical patients.

    Methods: We searched for articles from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, Web of Science, Scopus, and CINAHL plus. From 2002 to 2015, 31 articles meeting the inclusion criteria were identified in the literature. Risk of bias and heterogeneity were assessed. Network meta-analyses (NMA) were performed using random-effects modeling to obtain estimates for study outcomes. Risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated. We then ranked the comparative effects of all regimens with the surface under the cumulative ranking (SUCRA) probabilities.

    Results: A total of 2,952 patients were included. We found that synbiotic therapy was the best regimen in reducing surgical site infection (SSI) (RR = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.12-0.64) in adult surgical patients. Synbiotic therapy was also the best intervention to reduce pneumonia (RR = 0.28; 95% CI, 0.09-0.90), sepsis (RR = 0.09; 95% CI, 0.01-0.94), hospital stay (mean = 9.66 days, 95% CI, 7.60-11.72), and duration of antibiotic administration (mean = 5.61 days, 95% CI, 3.19-8.02). No regimen significantly reduced mortality.

    Conclusions: This network meta-analysis suggests that synbiotic therapy is the first rank to reduce SSI, pneumonia, sepsis, hospital stay, and antibiotic use. Surgeons should consider the use of synbiotics as an adjunctive therapy to prevent POCs among adult surgical patients. Increasing use of synbiotics may help to reduce the use of antibiotics and multidrug resistance.

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