The Preventive Use of Probiotics Against Gastrointestinal HAIs in Ontario

Abstract

Given confounding evidence in the literature and the lack of standardized guidelines in Canada, little is known about the process through which clinical dieticians decide whether or not to implement a probiotics course with the intent of preventing gastrointestinal healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) in Ontario. This study uses a mixed-method design featuring a content analysis of the literature and a survey addressed to clinical dietitians in Ontario to investigate (a) the likelihood of clinical dietitians in recommending probiotics course to prevent gastrointestinal healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and (b) their reasoning in setting certain parameters of such a probiotics course. Among the four respondents obtained for the survey, all ranked their likelihood of prescribing probiotics to prevent nosocomial gastrointestinal infections as medium or less. The determination of parameters in a course were largely influenced by guidelines and/or evidence, case-specific consideration and fixed procedures, as these were mentioned among other themes by the largest number of respondents and were included in the largest amount of questions on average. Finally, parameters which the majority of respondents determined using the same themes were the dose of probiotics, timing of the course with regards to antibiotics, and type of probiotics. 

Keywords: Probiotics, Gastrointestinal infections, Nosocomial infections, HAIs, Gut flora, Antibiotics, Antimicrobial resistance