Holy Redeemer Hospital is one institution that is experimenting with yogurt as a preventive measure against HAIs for patients on antibiotics. Antibiotics kill both good and bad bacteria in the intestines, and killing too much good bacteria can potentially lead to diarrhea and C. difficile, among other infections. Probiotics in yogurt may help restore a healthy level of good bacteria in the stomach.
Data is still limited on the use of probiotics regarding dosage and bacterial strain, and there is a risk that patients may develop infections from the live bacteria. However, Holy Redeemer’s initial data shows a drop in C. diff cases from 75 patients in 2011, an infection rate of 12.5 percent, to 23 patients in 2012, an infection rate of 4 percent.
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