Probiotics and infectious diarrhea

Numerous probiotic agents have been studied for the management of diarrheal disease. In particular? the prevention and management of acute viral diarr hea, the treatment of recurrent Clostridium difficile diarrhea, as well as the control of antibiotic-associated diarrhea seem to be areas of significa nt potential benefit. A few agents, including Lactobacillus GG, Lactobacill us reuteri, and Saccharomyces boulardii, seem to be promising agents for th e amelioration of the course of acute diarrhea in children when used therap eutically. The use of other agents, particularly Bifidobacteria, supplement ing the regular feed of infants may have an effect as prophylactic agents a gainst acute diarrheal diseases. In general, in pediatric populations, the effect of probiotic agents appears to be most significant against viral (ro taviral) diarrhea, suggesting that an immunological mechanism is responsibl e for the beneficial effects. The numerous agents, doses, and populations u sed make generalization difficult. Nevertheless, it is clear probiotic agen ts are becoming an important part of the armamentarium against gastrointest inal problems in infants and children.