Probiotic Use in the Prevention of Antibiotic Associated Diarrhea: Clostridium Difficle - Dissertation Example

Methodology and Design Introduction Probiotics such as yogurt have gotten a lot of attention recently, both in medical and public circles, as potential aids to digestion. In particular, probiotics are increasingly being used to aid people after an antibiotic course: “ A person taking antibiotics is equivalent to pouring bleach into a fish tank to kill an overgrowth of algae. The bleach not only kills the algae but everything else that is present in that environment. It is necessary for people taking antibiotics to alternate with probiotics because antibiotics kill beneficial bacteria along with the bacteria causing the illness”.

This project aims to see if probiotics can prevent diarrhea after a treatment for clostridium difficile. Project Description and Planning Twenty participants will be included in this evidenced-based project based on the inclusion criteria. A dietary supplement containing a probiotic will be added to each participants' meal tray twice daily, during the lunch and supper. Meals. The project is divided into three phases: 1. Pre-Intervention 2. Intervention phase: The Probiotic/C. Difficile Data Collection Questionnaire and Bristol Stool samples will beChart, which will be distributed to each subject and maintained daily by the primary investigator. 3. Post-Intervention: Data analysis.

Data Collection The survey tool will be distributed and maintained daily among the twenty participants. The tool is the Probiotic/C. Difficile Data Collection Questionnaire. The primary investigator will be responsible for the daily maintenance and distribution. They will also measure probiotic intake, recording how much of the chosen probiotic (yogurt) was consumed at both lunch and supper. The Bristol Stool Chart will provide consistency in documentation of stools by each participant. The chart is used to measure improvements in diarrhea measures.

Utilization of existing data (participant’s current hospital records as maintained on CPRS) will provide additional information. This information will both be used within the study's parameters for verification and outside for control (e.g. make sure that a patient doesn't have a long-term GI problem that might interfere, or some other condition that might confound the results). Finally, there will be a review of lab values, the stool charts. Hospital policy will be observed with respect to procedure for C.

difficile diagnosis. This data will be used to determine the effect of yogurt on diarrhea measures. S. S. Biradar, S. T. Bahagvati & B. Shegunshi : Probiotics And Antibiotics: A Brief Overview . The Internet Journal of Nutrition and Wellness. 2005 Volume 2 Number 1