Risk Factors for Antibiotic-Associated Diarrhoea in Paediatric Patients With Severe Pneumonia: A Retrospective Cohort.
Shuang Gao, Ya Dan, Xuemei Liu and 2 others
PMID 41808517WHAT IT FOUND
In 306 children with severe pneumonia, 42 developed antibiotic-associated diarrhoea.
Infants under 1 year, penicillin use, antibiotics for at least a week, ventilation and stays over 14 days were linked with higher risk; probiotics were linked with lower risk.
Key findings
01Among 306 children with severe pneumonia, 42 (13.73%) developed antibiotic-associated diarrhoea during hospitalisation.
02Multivariate analysis identified age under 1 year, penicillin use, antibiotic duration of at least 1 week, mechanical ventilation and hospital stay over 14 days as independent risk factors, while probiotic administration was reported as protective.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study was single centre and retrospective, so associations may not apply elsewhere and cannot prove cause. Data came from records, and some details such as antibiotic doses and gut microbiota were incomplete. Probiotic strains and dosages were not analysed. Only 42 children had antibiotic-associated diarrhoea, and 15 were severe, so subgroup findings are limited.
Declared interests
The authors report nothing to report for funding and declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the protective association with probiotics as proof that giving probiotics prevents antibiotic-associated diarrhoea. This was a retrospective cohort, not a randomised trial, and the authors did not analyse probiotic strains or dosages.