Clinical Trial: Bacteriuria Eradication Through Probiotics
Study Status: Active, not recruiting
Recruit Status: Unknown status
Study Type: Interventional
Official Title: Bacteriuria Eradication Through Probiotics
Brief Summary: Many children who catheterize their bladders because of spina bifida or other neurologic disorders have bacteriuria. This can lead to urinary tract infections by bacteria from the gut which colonize the vagina and are carried into the bladder during catheter passage. We seek to test whether oral administration of probiotic bacteria can "displace" these vagina-derived uropathogens and reduce or prevent bacteriuria in girls with spina bifida who empty their bladders through catheterization.
Detailed Summary:
In children with spina bifida and neurogenic bladder dysfunction, the need for intermittent bladder catheterization increases the risk of bacteriuria. In many patients, this leads to a clinically significant urinary tract infection (UTI). Many of these children are placed on long term, low dose antibiotic suppression to prevent recurrent urinary infection. Unfortunately, bacteriuria often persists despite daily antibiotic therapy, and breakthrough urinary tract infections are common. Furthermore, this approach carries the potential for deleterious side effects, and may promote the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Urinary tract infection in girls occurs when virulent bacteria migrate from the rectum and colonize the vagina and peri-urethral mucosa, thus gaining access to the bladder. In girls with spina bifida, access to the bladder is greatly facilitated by catheter passage. Antibiotic prophylaxis relies on maintaining a low dose of antibiotic in the urinary stream, which decreases peri-urethral colonization, and prevents proliferation of bacteria after they gain access to the bladder. An alternative approach to daily antibiotic prophylaxis is to decrease the risk of urinary colonization with virulent bacteria by supplementing the normal bacteria flora with non-infection causing strains of bacteria.
Probiotics are dietary supplements containing potentially beneficial bacterial strains such as Lactobacillus. The safety of oral administration of probiotics has been demonstrated in several studies over the last 30 years. Studies using L. rhamnosus GG, a probiotic introduced in the late 1980s to alleviate diarrhea, have shown promising results when used for UTI prevention. In one study, researchers found that the subjects consuming Lactobacillus GG drinks had fewer episodes of UTI compared to those women not recei
Sponsor: Baylor College of Medicine
Current Primary Outcome: bacteriuria [ Time Frame: 3 months ]
Original Primary Outcome: Same as current
Current Secondary Outcome: urinary tract infections [ Time Frame: 3 months ]
Original Secondary Outcome: Same as current
Information By: Baylor College of Medicine
Dates:
Date Received: July 16, 2008
Date Started: January 2008
Date Completion: September 2008
Last Updated: July 16, 2008
Last Verified: July 2008
