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No evidence from a systematic review for the use of probiotics to prevent otitis media
Author(s) -
Chen Tzu Yu,
Hendrickx Anneleen,
Stevenson Duncan Scott,
Bird Philip,
Walls Tony
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
acta paediatrica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 115
eISSN - 1651-2227
pISSN - 0803-5253
DOI - 10.1111/apa.15368
Subject(s) - medicine , otitis , acute otitis media , adverse effect , medline , systematic review , quality of evidence , probiotic , intensive care medicine , meta analysis , cochrane library , evidence based medicine , randomized controlled trial , alternative medicine , surgery , pathology , genetics , biology , political science , bacteria , law
Aim This systematic review evaluates the current evidence for the use of probiotics in the prevention of acute otitis media (AOM) in children. Methods This study is registered with PROSPERO prior to commencement. PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane database were searched using relating keywords. All literature was screened to determine relatability to the topic. Review articles were also screened for additional literature. Results Thirteen studies were found on probiotics and their role in preventing AOM in children. They ranged in quality from poor to moderate. Half (2/4) of the studies that used nasal probiotic formulations showed a significant difference in reducing otitis media, while only a third (3/9) of the studies using oral formulations suggest benefit in reducing AOM. None of the studies demonstrated significant adverse effects from probiotics. Conclusion The evidence for any effect of probiotics on the prevention of AOM is limited, and the overall low quality of studies makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. No serious adverse events were noted, and there is some evidence to suggest possible benefit with nasal probiotic administration.