Diabetes Health in the News Podcast: Probiotics Can Reduce Infection Risk for Transplant Recipients

November 20, 2015 Nadia Al-Samarrie

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A recent study has shown that when liver transplant recipients take prebiotics and probiotics, prior to their surgery, they have a lower rate of infections. The study was completed at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and found infection rates for the controlled group were 35%. However, the group of patients that received probiotics had an infection rate of only 7%.

The study also showed other promising facts for the use of probiotics before a liver transplant. Patients who received probiotics had shorter stays in the ICU, and were also able to stop taking antibiotics sooner than patients who did not receive probiotics.

These findings were published in the Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology on September 2015.