Efficacy of Lactobacillus Reuteri DSM 17938 for the Treatment of Acute Gastroenteritis in Children: Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) is one of the most common diseases among children. Oral rehydration therapy is the key treatment. However, despite proven efficacy, it remains underused. This is because oral rehydration solution neither reduces the frequency of bowel movements and fluid loss nor shortens the duration of illness. Hence, there is interest in adjunctive treatments. According to the 2014 guidelines developed by the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, the use of the following probiotics may be considered in the management of children with AGE in addition to rehydration therapy: Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (low quality of evidence; strong recommendation) and Saccharomyces boulardii (low quality of evidence; strong recommendation). Less compelling evidence is available for Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 (very low quality of evidence; weak recommendation). OBJECTIVE Considering that evidence on L reuteri remains limited, the goal of the study is to assess the effectiveness of L reuteri DSM 17938 in the treatment of AGE in children. Children vaccinated and not vaccinated against rotavirus will be evaluated separately. METHODS This will be a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized trial. Children between 1 and 60 months of age with AGE, defined as a change in stool consistency to loose or liquid form (according to the Bristol Stool Form scale or Amsterdam Stool Form scale) and/or an increase in the frequency of evacuations (typically ≥3 in 24 h) lasting for no longer than 5 days, will be recruited. A total of 72 children will receive either L reuteri DSM 17938 at a dose of 2×108colony-forming units twice daily or matching placebo for 5 consecutive days. A similar sample size for rotavirus vaccinated and nonvaccinated children is planned. The primary outcome measure is the duration of diarrhea. Two separate studies and reports for rotavirus vaccinated and nonvaccinated children are planned. RESULTS The recruitment started in January 2017 and is planned to be finalized in June 2018 for rotavirus nonvaccinated children. The recruitment of rotavirus-vaccinated children may be slower due to a relatively low coverage rate in Poland. Data analysis and submission to a peer-reviewed journal is expected within 3 months after completion of the study. CONCLUSION This study will add to current knowledge on the efficacy of L reuteri DSM 17938 for the management of AGE. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02989350; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02989350 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/6slOFkyTH).