Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Can probiotics be an alternative to chlorhexidine for oral care in the mechanically ventilated patient? A multicentre, prospective, randomised controlled open trial

Klarin, Bengt LU ; Adolfsson, Anne ; Torstensson, Anders and Larsson, Anders (2018) In Critical Care 22(1).
Abstract

Background: Pathogenic enteric bacteria aspirated from the oropharynx are the main cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Using chlorhexidine (CHX) orally or selective decontamination has been shown to reduce VAP. In a pilot study we found that oral care with the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum 299 (Lp299) was as effective as CHX in reducing enteric bacteria in the oropharynx. To confirm those results, in this expanded study with an identical protocol we increased the number of patients and participating centres. Methods: One hundred and fifty critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation were randomised to oral care with either standard 0.1% CHX solution (control group) or a procedure comprising final... (More)

Background: Pathogenic enteric bacteria aspirated from the oropharynx are the main cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Using chlorhexidine (CHX) orally or selective decontamination has been shown to reduce VAP. In a pilot study we found that oral care with the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum 299 (Lp299) was as effective as CHX in reducing enteric bacteria in the oropharynx. To confirm those results, in this expanded study with an identical protocol we increased the number of patients and participating centres. Methods: One hundred and fifty critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation were randomised to oral care with either standard 0.1% CHX solution (control group) or a procedure comprising final application of an emulsion of Lp299. Samples for microbiological analyses were taken from the oropharynx and trachea at inclusion and subsequently at defined intervals. Student's t test was used for comparisons of parameters recorded daily and Fisher's exact test was used to compare the results of microbiological cultures. Results: Potentially pathogenic enteric bacteria not present at inclusion were identified in oropharyngeal samples from 29 patients in the CHX group and in 31 samples in the probiotic group. Considering cultures of tracheal secretions, enteric bacteria were found in 17 and 19 samples, respectively. Risk ratios show a difference in favour of the Lp group for fungi in oropharyngeal cultures. VAP was diagnosed in seven patients in the Lp group and in 10 patients among the controls. Conclusions: In this multicentre study, we could not demonstrate any difference between Lp299 and CHX used in oral care procedures regarding their impact on colonisation with emerging potentially pathogenic enteric bacteria in the oropharynx and trachea. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01105819. Registered on 9 April 2010. First part: Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN00472141. Registered on 22 November 2007 (published Critical Care 2008, 12:R136).

(Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Chlorhexidine, Lactobacillus plantarum 299, Mechanically ventilated patients, Oral care, Probiotics, Resistance to antibiotics, Ventilator-associated pneumonia
in
Critical Care
volume
22
issue
1
article number
272
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • scopus:85055612406
  • pmid:30368249
ISSN
1364-8535
DOI
10.1186/s13054-018-2209-4
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
38556699-f0da-4086-908e-6c210f6fba31
date added to LUP
2018-11-15 10:30:46
date last changed
2024-01-15 06:52:37
@article{38556699-f0da-4086-908e-6c210f6fba31,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Pathogenic enteric bacteria aspirated from the oropharynx are the main cause of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Using chlorhexidine (CHX) orally or selective decontamination has been shown to reduce VAP. In a pilot study we found that oral care with the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum 299 (Lp299) was as effective as CHX in reducing enteric bacteria in the oropharynx. To confirm those results, in this expanded study with an identical protocol we increased the number of patients and participating centres. Methods: One hundred and fifty critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation were randomised to oral care with either standard 0.1% CHX solution (control group) or a procedure comprising final application of an emulsion of Lp299. Samples for microbiological analyses were taken from the oropharynx and trachea at inclusion and subsequently at defined intervals. Student's t test was used for comparisons of parameters recorded daily and Fisher's exact test was used to compare the results of microbiological cultures. Results: Potentially pathogenic enteric bacteria not present at inclusion were identified in oropharyngeal samples from 29 patients in the CHX group and in 31 samples in the probiotic group. Considering cultures of tracheal secretions, enteric bacteria were found in 17 and 19 samples, respectively. Risk ratios show a difference in favour of the Lp group for fungi in oropharyngeal cultures. VAP was diagnosed in seven patients in the Lp group and in 10 patients among the controls. Conclusions: In this multicentre study, we could not demonstrate any difference between Lp299 and CHX used in oral care procedures regarding their impact on colonisation with emerging potentially pathogenic enteric bacteria in the oropharynx and trachea. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01105819. Registered on 9 April 2010. First part: Current Controlled Trials, ISRCTN00472141. Registered on 22 November 2007 (published Critical Care 2008, 12:R136).</p>}},
  author       = {{Klarin, Bengt and Adolfsson, Anne and Torstensson, Anders and Larsson, Anders}},
  issn         = {{1364-8535}},
  keywords     = {{Chlorhexidine; Lactobacillus plantarum 299; Mechanically ventilated patients; Oral care; Probiotics; Resistance to antibiotics; Ventilator-associated pneumonia}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Critical Care}},
  title        = {{Can probiotics be an alternative to chlorhexidine for oral care in the mechanically ventilated patient? A multicentre, prospective, randomised controlled open trial}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13054-018-2209-4}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s13054-018-2209-4}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}