Efectiveness of Saccharomyces boulardii in treating acute diarrhea in children under 5 years old
Main Article Content
Abstract
This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Saccharomyces boulardii in treating acute diarrhea in children under 5 years old through a meta-analysis. Data from 14 randomized controlled trials (2005 - 2022) involving 2277 children were synthesized. Results showed that S. boulardii reduced the duration of diarrhea by an average of 24 hours (95% CI: -28.5; -19.5), decreased diarrhea frequency on days 2 of 1.39 times (95% CI:-2.28; -0.49) , shortened hospital stay by 0.64 day (95% CI: -24.2; -15.8), and lowered the risk of prolonged diarrhea beyond 14 days by 70% (RR = 0.30; 95% CI: 0.18; 0.50). No serious adverse effect was reported. However, study quality varied with potential bias, necessitating further high-quality trials for confirmation. S. boulardii effectively supports the treatment of acute diarrhea in children, though caution is advised in immunocompromised patients.
Article Details
Keywords
Saccharomyces boulardii, acute diarrhea, children under 5 years, meta-analysis
References
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