The C.A.M. Report
Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Fair, Balanced, and to the Point
  • About this web log

    This blog ran from 2006 to 2016 and was intended as an objective and dispassionate source of information on the latest CAM research. Since my background is in pharmacy and allopathic medicine, I view all CAM as advancing through the development pipeline to eventually become integrated into mainstream medical practice. Some will succeed while others fail. But all are treated fairly here.

  • About the author

    John Russo, Jr., PharmD, is president of The MedCom Resource, Inc. Previously, he was senior vice president of medical communications at www.Vicus.com, a complementary and alternative medicine website.

  • Common sense considerations

    The material on this weblog is for informational purposes. It is not medical advice or counsel. Be smart, consult your health professional before using CAM.

  • Recent Posts

  • Recent Comments

    Should all hospital patients receive a probiotic?

    Maybe, based on these study results.

    First, the details.

    • 89 hospitalized patients were randomly assigned to receive lactobacilli-fermented milk or a placebo each day.
    • Patients and researchers were not aware of the treatment given (blinded).

    And, the results.

    • Antibiotic-associated diarrhea occurred in significantly fewer of the lactobacilli-treated patients than the placebo group — 16% vs 36%.
    • The median hospital stay was not significantly different — 8 vs 10 days.
    • Overall, the lactobacilli-fermented milk was well tolerated.

    The bottom line?
    The authors concluded, “Daily administration of a lactobacilli-fermented milk was safe and effective in the prevention of antibiotic-associated diarrhea in hospitalized patients.”

    OK, but I think that more study in larger populations and evidence of an economic benefit will be needed to make this treatment routine.

    12/27/07 14:50 JR

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