Introduction:

Probiotics are live microorganisms which, when administered in adequate amounts, provide beneficial action in humans. There are numerous studies about their use to treat diarrhea in pediatrics, so it is necessary to evaluate the evidence.

Methods:

We reviewed metaanalyses and systematic reviews in the last ten years about the use of probiotics to treat acute diarrhea, diarrhea associated with antibiotics and Clostridium difficile and nosocomial diarrhea.

Results:

Metaanalyses show that treatment of acute diarrhea with probiotics decreases duration by one day (95% CI: 15.9 to 33.6 hours) and reduces a risk of prolongation in the following four to seven days. They provide strong recommendations with moderate evidence for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii. For diarrhea associated with antibiotics and Clostridium difficile, meta-analyses show risk reduction of between 50% and 60%, with strong recommendations for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii with an NNT of 10 (95% CI: 7 to 12). For nosocomial diarrhea, moderate evidence was found for the use of Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, mainly in reducing the risk of symptomatic gastroenteritis due to rotavirus. Currently, sufficient evidence does not exist to give recommendation for strains S. thermophiles and B. bifidum.

Conclusion:

For reducing the duration and reducing the risk of prolongation of acute diarrhea, evidence exists only for Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii. In addition, they reduce the risk of diarrhea associated with antibiotics by 50% to 60%. There is moderate evidence that Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG reduces the risk of nosocomial diarrhea.

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