Probiotics are live microorganisms that are available over the counter, widely used as dietary supplements or nutritional foods, and represent a low-cost, well tolerated, safe, non-antibiotic based strategy that may have efficacy as adjunctive treatment of infections without the attendant risks of promoting antimicrobial resistance. Certain probiotics have demonstrated inhibition of adherence of pathogenic bacteria and stimulation of systemic immune functions, possibly enhancing the body's ability to eradicate C. difficile in the gastrointestinal tract. However, limited data is available on the efficacy of probiotics for ameliorating C. difficile symptoms and reducing recurrence of C. difficile infection (CDI). The investigators propose a pilot randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial in older adult inpatients with a first episode of CDI to evaluate the efficacy of a probiotic combination, in conjunction with standard treatment, for reducing duration of diarrhea and recurrence of CDI.
The purpose of this study is to determine whether a probiotic, when used together with standard treatment, is effective in reducing duration of symptoms and preventing recurrence of infection in older adults with a first episode of C. difficile infection.