当大量病人住在彼此接近的地方时，就很难防止感染的传播，就像在任何医院环境中发生的那样。纽约康奈尔大学医学中心(Cornell University Medical Center)的胃肠病学专家波查平(Mark Bennett Pochapin)博士说，一种名为艰难梭状芽胞杆菌(Clostridium difficile)的细菌比其他任何病原体都更容易在医院引起感染。益生菌作为一种低风险的解决这一问题的方法，目前受到极大的关注。
乳杆菌GG
在美国，几乎所有的假膜性结肠炎病例都与艰难梭状芽胞杆菌有关,和up to one out of every five cases of diarrhea caused by antibiotic use, according to Pochapin. A probiotic agent called Lactobacillus GG may be of assistance in eradicating Clostridium difficile infection. Probiotics are live microorganisms that deliver healthful benefits when ingested. Lactobacillus GG, a bacterium, was found to be effective in reducing the recurrence of Clostridium difficile infection, and relieving the symptoms of abdominal cramps and diarrhea that often accompany this infection. Pochapin explains that the effects of Lactobacillus GG are thought to be due to its ability to recolonize the intestines with friendly microflora that may have been decimated during antibiotic treatment. His study, titled "The Effect of Probiotics on Clostridium Difficile Diarrhea," was published in the August 2000 issue of the "American Journal of Gastroenterology."
酿酒Boulardii
boulardii是一种酵母菌，而不是一种细菌，但它也被吹捧为对抗艰难梭菌感染的有效益生菌制剂。有时也被称为面包酵母，boulardii酵母菌是由Lynne V. McFarland博士研究的，他是华盛顿退伍军人管理局普吉特湾医疗保健系统的博士。麦克法兰关于益生菌预防抗生素相关性腹泻和治疗艰难梭菌病的荟萃分析发表在2006年4月的《美国胃肠病学杂志》上。She found that both Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG and Saccharomyces boulardii reduced cases of diarrhea due to antibiotics, but that Saccharomyces boulardii was the sole probiotic that effectively reduced recurrence of Clostridium difficile disease.
注意事项
美国疾病控制与预防中心(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)指出，美国食品和药物管理局(Food and Drug Administration)将boulardii等益生菌作为膳食补充剂来监管，而不是作为治疗疾病的药物。使用益生菌治疗住院患者感染的热情必须通过对免疫系统已经受损的患者的潜在风险进行谨慎的检查来缓和。