Efficacy of probiotic and synbiotic supplementation on antibiotic use duration and risk of postoperative infection in patients undergoing gastrointestinal and cancer-related surgery: An umbrella review of meta-analyses.
Amir Hossein Zanganeh, Ehsan Moghaddas Kia, Sanaz Mehrabani et al.
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In 30 seconds
This umbrella review assessed the impact of synbiotic and probiotic supplementation on antibiotic use duration and postoperative infection risk in patients undergoing gastrointestinal and cancer-related surgery. The analysis included 52 clinical trials with 4101 participants. Probiotic supplementation significantly reduced antibiotic use duration by 1.77 days and postoperative infection risk with a relative risk of 0.51, while synbiotic supplementation decreased antibiotic use duration by 3.56 days and infection risk with a relative risk of 0.64.
Key findings
- Probiotic supplementation reduced antibiotic use duration by 1.77 days (MD: -1.77 days, p = 0.011).
- Probiotic supplementation decreased postoperative infection risk with a relative risk of 0.51 (p < 0.001).
- Synbiotic supplementation reduced antibiotic use duration by 3.56 days (MD: -3.56 days, p < 0.001).
- Synbiotic supplementation decreased postoperative infection risk with a relative risk of 0.64 (p = 0.001).
Why it matters
Understanding the effects of synbiotic and probiotic supplementation can help clinicians optimize antibiotic use and reduce postoperative infection rates in surgical patients, potentially improving patient outcomes and resource utilization.