OBJECTIVETo study the effect of β-lactamase (BLs) detection and β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor (BL/BLI) on the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) in children with severe bacterial pneumonia.

METHODSThe clinical data of the children with bacterial severe pneumonia were retrospectively studied. Of all the patients, 248 using amoxicillin/clavulanate but without BLs detection and 323 using amoxicillin (BLs negative) or amoxicillin/clavulanate (BLs positive) were used as the amoxicillin group; 208 patients using piperacillin/tazobactam but without BLs detection and 291 patients using piperacillin (BLs negative) or piperacillin/tazobactam (BLs positive) were used as the piperacillin group; and 191 patients using cefoperazone/sulbactam but without BLs detection and 341 patients using cefoperazone (BLs negative) or cefoperazone/sulbactam (BLs positive) were used as the cefoperazone group. The incidence and clinical symptoms of AAD between the undetected and detected BLs patients were compared.

RESULTSThe incidences of AAD in the amoxicillin, piperacillin and cefoperazone groups without BLs detection groups were significantly higher than those in the corresponding groups with negative or positive results of BLs detection (P<0.01). The durations of diarrhea, antibiotic use and hospitalization stay in AAD patients receiving BLs detection were shorter than in those without receiving BLs detection (P<0.01).

CONCLUSIONSIt is very important to detect BLs for reducing the incidence and relieving symptoms of AAD in children with severe bacterial pneumonia.

Adolescent ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; adverse effects ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Diarrhea ; chemically induced ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Pneumonia, Bacterial ; complications ; beta-Lactamases ; analysis

Antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) is a common complication of antibiotic use. There is growing interest in probiotics for the treatment of AAD and Clostridium difficile infection because of the wide availability of probiotics. The aim of this multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial was to assess the efficacy of probiotic Lactobacillus (Lacidofil(R) cap) for the prevention of AAD in adults. From September 2008 to November 2009, a total of 214 patients with respiratory tract infection who had begun receiving antibiotics were randomized to receive Lactobacillus (Lacidofil(R) cap) or placebo for 14 days. Patients recorded bowel frequency and stool consistency daily for 14 days. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients who developed AAD within 14 days of enrollment. AAD developed in 4 (3.9%) of 103 patients in the Lactobacillus group and in 8 (7.2%) of 111 patients in the placebo group (P=0.44). However, the Lactobacillus group showed lower change in bowel frequency and consistency (50/103, 48.5%) than the placebo group (35/111, 31.5%) (P=0.01). Although the Lacidofil(R) cap does not reduce the rate of occurrence of AAD in adult patients with respiratory tract infection who have taken antibiotics, the Lactobacillus group maintains their bowel habits to a greater extent than the placebo group.
Adult ; Aged ; Anti-Bacterial Agents/*adverse effects/therapeutic use ; Diarrhea/chemically induced/*prevention & control ; Double-Blind Method ; Female ; Humans ; *Lactobacillus ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Odds Ratio ; Probiotics/*therapeutic use ; Prospective Studies ; Respiratory Tract Infections/drug therapy ; Risk Factors