The effect of Lactobacillus bacteria supplement on sepsis and its complications in patients with acute burns

Sepsis as a result of bacterial translocation from the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is a known associate of morbidity and mortality in patients with severe burns. This translocation is influenced by the GIT flora. Oral consumption of Lactobacillus bacteria was previously shown to reduce translocation. We conducted a retrospective cohort study on a series of 56 patients with burns admitted to Soroka University Medical Center in Beer-Sheva, Israel. Those 56 patients included 28 who were given lactobacillus supplements and 28 who were not. The parameters that were compared between the groups evaluated the level of sepsis and its complications. The parameters of morbidity during hospitalization were significantly higher in the treatment group; however, their mortality was lower. That difference in mortality between the groups was not significant as a whole (p = 0.071), but it was significant in the subgroup analysis of 41-70% total body surface area burned. In that subgroup there were zero cases of death in the treatment group versus five cases in the control group (p = 0.005). Our findings suggest that in acute burns, lactobacillus bacteria food additives may be clinically beneficial in patients with total burned body surface area of 41-70%.