Search

We aimed to assess longitudinal changes in clinical indexes of corona disease 2019 (Covid-19) patients with mild pulmonary infection during 5 days of remdesivir therapy and determine the effect of age and gender on remdesivir adverse effects (AE). Patients' clinical data including inflammatory markers, liver and renal function tests, and heart rate (HR) were extracted from medical records. Linear mixed model (LMM) was used to analyze longitudinal changes in patients' clinical indexes. Gender and age were inserted in LMM as covariates to find their correlation with AE and clinical indexes. Of 84 patients, 35 patients met our criteria for the study. There were significant increases in mean levels of white blood cell (WBC; p = 0.005), alanine aminotransferase (ALT; p = 0.001), aspartate aminotransferase (p = 0.001), blood urea nitrogen (BUN; p = 0.001), and creatinine (p = 0.006), whereas mean levels of erythrocyte sedimentation rate (p = 0.005), C-reactive protein (p = 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (p = 0.001), and potassium (p = 0.003) decreased significantly. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (p = 0.001) and HR (p = 0.001) showed a notable decline over the course of treatment. LMM analysis showed that mean changes in WBC (β = 0.94, p = 0.029), creatinine (β = 0.12, p = 0.020), and HR (β = 6.47, p = 0.008) were greater in males than in females. Also, age of patients had a significant effect on the mean changes of WBC (β = -0.02, p = 0.023), sodium (β = -0.06, p = 0.010), BUN (β = 0.23, p = 0.001), and HR (β = -0.29, p = 0.001). Despite no renal and liver dysfunction, Covid-19 patients with mild pulmonary infection may develop some remdesivir AE and attributed side effects might be affected by gender and age of patients.

Inflammation plays an important role in the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Based on the anti-inflammatory properties of French maritime pine bark extract and the neuroprotective effects, we aimed to evaluate the effects of its supplementation on TBI. Sixty-seven TBI patients admitted to the intensive care units (ICUs) were enrolled. After stabilizing the hemodynamic status, the intervention group received 150 mg of French maritime pine bark extract supplementation (Oligopin) with enteral nutrition for 10 days. The control group received a placebo. Inflammatory status and oxidative stress markers were measured three times. Also, clinical and nutritional statuses were assessed. Supplementation, significantly decreased IL-6 (β = -53.43 pg/ml, 95% confidence interval [CI] = -91.74, -15.13, p = .006), IL-1β (β = -111.66 pg/ml, 95% CI = -183.79, -39.5402, p = .002) and C-reactive protein (β = -19.99 mg/L, 95% CI = -27.23, -12.76, p ˃ .001) in the intervention group compared to control group after 10 days. Clinical scores including acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II and sequential organ failure assessment were reduced (β = -3.72, 95% CI = -5.96, -1.49, p = .001and β = -2.07, 95% CI = -3.23, -0.90, p < .001, respectively), and Nutric score was reduced compared to control group (β = -.60, 95% CI = -1.08, -0.12, p = .01). The survival rate was higher by 15% in the intervention group compared to control group. Oligopin supplementation in TBI patients in ICU reduced inflammation and improved the clinical status and malnutrition score and thereby reducing the mortality rate.

Heparin-induced thrombocytopenia (HIT) is a serious adverse drug reaction due to its related risk of life- and limb-threatening thrombosis. Apixaban is a direct factor Xa inhibitor that may be intended as an ideal alternative for the management of HIT. In this open-label, single-arm, pilot intervention study, the efficacy and safety of apixaban were evaluated in 30 patients aged18 years with clinically suspected HIT (4Ts score ≥4 points). Patients with mechanical heart valves, chronic kidney disease, hepatic impairment, and active bleeding were excluded. In all patients with inclusion criteria, heparin or enoxaparin was discontinued and apixaban was started. The dose of apixaban for HIT suspected patients was defined on the basis of the reason for anticoagulant therapy. End points included confirmed thrombosis, mortality, and adverse treatment-related events. After apixaban therapy, platelet counts normalized in all patients; none of the 30 subjects developed new, progressive, or recurrent thrombosis; and only 1 of 30 patients developed a hemorrhagic event. Five patients (16.7%) died, but the reason for death was not linked to thrombosis, hemorrhage, or adverse effects of apixaban. Along with the available emerging data, our results propose that apixaban could be a safe and effective drug for the management of suspected HIT in clinically stable patients.

Introduction and aim Malnutrition is a complication of hospitalization in critically ill patients. This event is occurred because of disease and therapeutic processes for curing the patients. Determination of nutritional status helps physicians and clinical nutritionists decide on the best regimen which should be prescribed for a patient. In the current study, we aimed to report the nutritional status ofpatientshospitalizedin the intensive care unit (ICU). Method of study We used three standard tolls, including Subjective global assessment (SGA), Nutrition Risk in the Critically Ill (NUTRIC) Score and nutrition risk screening (NRS) questionnaires via a multi-stage sampling for different ICU wards of 32 university hospitals in Iran. Frequencies and rates of nutritional scores, comparative studies, and determined agreement of scoring systems and nutritional status in any ward of hospitals were evaluated. Results There were 771 males and 540 female Cancer and trauma patients had the best and worst nutritional scores, respectively. Using NRS and NUTRIC, the low-risk scores were more frequent than thehigh-riskscores among ICU patients. SGA showed that most patients were in grades A (well nutritional status) or B (moderate nutritional status), andfew caseswere in grade C (poor nutritional status).The high-risk nutritional score wasobtained for older patients. NUTRIC and NRS had better agreement for diagnosis and differentiation of malnutrition than NUTRIC-SGA or NRS-SGA pairs. However, there was no strong agreement between the mentioned pairs. Conclusion Nutritional status of patients hospitalized in ICU wards in Iran wassomewhat better than other countries that this could be due to the highly observed guidelines of patient's care in Iran. Anyway,it is suggested that a more precise tool of nutritional scoresto be validated for patients hospitalized in ICU·In addition, better medical care needs a well evaluation of nutritional insufficiencies and what is necessary for compensation using complementary regimens.

Background: To access the effect of Intravenous immunoglobulin ‎‎(IVIG) in critically ill corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.Method: In this retrospective matched cohort study, records of three tertiary centers with large number of COVID-19 admissions were evaluated and used. Based on treatment options, ‎patients were divided into two groups, standard COVID-19 treatment (109 patients) and IVIG treatment (74 patients) patients. Also, the effect of IVIG in different dosages was evaluated. Patients with IVIG treatment were divided into three groups of ‎low (0.25 gr/kg), medium (0.5 gr/kg), and high (1 gr/kg) dose. Data analysis was performed using independent t-test and ‎One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to compare the ‎outcomes between two groups, including duration of hospitalization, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay, and mortality rate.‎Result: The duration of hospitalization in the IVIG group ‎were significantly longer than standard treatment (13.74 days vs. 11.10 days, p<0.05). There was not a significant difference between the two groups in ICU length of stay, number of intubated patients and duration of mechanical ventilation (P>0.05).‎ Also initial ‎outcomes in IVIG subgroups were compared separately with the standard ‎treatment group. The results indicated that only the duration of hospitalization ‎in the IVIG subgroup with medium dose is significantly longer than the standard ‎treatment group (PConclusion: Using IVIG is not beneficial for COVID-19 patients based on no remarkable differences in duration of hospitalization, ICU length of stay, duration of mechanical ventilation and even mortality rate.

BACKGROUND Enteral immunomodulatory nutrition is recommended as an adjuvant therapy for patients in intensive care units (ICU), but its effectiveness is incompletely understood. AIM The aim of this review was to examine the effect of a commonly used immunomodulatory formula-omega-3 fatty acids, γ-linolenic acid, and antioxidants-on clinical outcomes and mortality risk in critically ill patients. DESIGN Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). METHOD PubMed, Scopus, and Institute for Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Knowledge databases were searched until 18 February 2021. RCTs that used the immunomodulatory formula in the ICU were included. RESULTS Ten RCTs (1166 participants) were included in the meta-analysis. The immunomodulatory formula reduced the duration of ICU stay weighted mean difference [(WMD): -2.97 days; 95%CI: -5.59, -0.35)], mechanical ventilation (WMD = -2.20 days, 95%CI: -4.29, -0.10), sequential organ failure assessment and multiple organ dysfunction scores (Hedge's g: -0.42 U/L; 95% CI: -0.74, -0.11), decreased 8-day overall mortality risk (RR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.58, 0.91), and extended the ICU-free days (WMD: 4.06 days, 95% CI: 0.02, 8.09). The improvement in respiratory function and reduction in mortality risk was more in patients with acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Furthermore, the reduction in mechanical ventilation and mortality risk was more evident in older (>60 years) vs young adults. CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE Taken together, the immunomodulatory formula may enhance clinical practice for critical care nurses, such that the prevalence and/or susceptibility to secondary conditions commonly encountered in the ICU (ie, ALI and ARDS) could be attenuated, ultimately allowing critical care nurses to focus their care on the primary reason for which a patient is in the ICU. The study protocol was registered in PROSPERO.

Background Most studies have shown beneficial effect of bariatric surgery (BS) on serum levels of sex hormones. Objective A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to examine the magnitude of possible changes in levels of sex hormones following BS. Settings Electronic databases were searched, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase, for relevant studies. Methods The heterogeneity of the studies was examined by χ2 tests and the degree of heterogeneity was estimated using I2 statistic. Results The results of pooled analyses revealed that BS caused a significant increase in luteinizing hormone (LH), follicular stimulating hormone (FSH), total testosterone (TT), and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) levels and conversely, decreased dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and estradiol (E2) levels in males. For females, BS significantly increased LH, FSH, and SHBG levels and conversely, decreased androstenedione (AE), E2 and TT levels. Additionally, the level of progesterone (P), prolactin (PRL), free testosterone (FT) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) showed no significant changes in patients who had undergone BS. Conclusion BS changed most sex hormones levels including LH, FSH, TT, SHBG, AE, DHEA, and E2. It seems that BS is able to exert substantial impacts on sex hormones levels and as well as sexual function, however, larger, and more precise trials are required to specifically focus on these claims.

Background Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major health and socioeconomic problems in the world. Immune-enhancing enteral formula has been proven to significantly reduce infection rate in TBI patients. One of the ingredients that can be used in immunonutrition formulas to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress is pycnogenol. Objective The objective of this work is to survey the effect of pycnogenol on the clinical, nutritional, and inflammatory status of TBI patients. Methods This is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial. Block randomization will be used. An intervention group will receive pycnogenol supplementation of 150 mg for 10 days and a control group will receive a placebo for the same duration. Inflammatory status (IL-6, IL- 1β, C-reactive protein) and oxidative stress status (malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity), at the baseline, at the 5th day, and at the end of the study (10th day) will be measured. Clinical and nutritional status will be assessed three times during the intervention. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) questionnaire for assessment of organ failure will be filled out every other day. The mortality rate will be calculated within 28 days of the start of the intervention. Weight, body mass index, and body composition will be measured. All analyses will be conducted by an initially assigned study arm in an intention-to-treat analysis. Discussion We expect that supplementation of 150 mg pycnogenol for 10 days will improve clinical and nutritional status and reduce the inflammation and oxidative stress of the TBI patients. Trial registration This trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ref: NCT03777683) at 12/13/2018.

Background: Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the major health and socioeconomic problems in the world. Immune-enhancing enteral formula has been proven to significantly reduce infection rate in TBI patient. One of the ingredients that can be used in immunonutrition formulas to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress is pycnogenol. Objective: surveying the effect of pycnogenol on the clinical, nutritional and inflammatory status of TBI patients. Methods: This is double-blind, randomized controlled trial . Block randomization will be used. Intervention group will receive pycnogenol supplementation of 150 mg for 10 days. Control group will receive placebo for the same duration. Inflammatory status (IL-6, IL- 1β, C-reactive protein) and oxidative stress status (Malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity), at the base line, at the 5 th day and at the end of the study (10 th day) will be measured. Clinical and nutritional status will be assessed three times during the intervention. SOFA (sequential organ failure assessment) questionnaire for assessment of organ failure will be filled out every other day. The mortality rate will be calculated within 28 days of the start of the intervention. Weight, body mass index and body composition will be measured. All analyses will be conducted by initially assigned study arm in an intention-to-treat analysis. Discussion: We expect that supplementation of 150 mg pycnogenol for 10 days will improve clinical and nutritional status and reduce the inflammation and oxidative stress of the TBI patients.

Crimes against a person's physical integrity are a serious and consequential felony in the Islamic criminal law. A war veteran and victim of chemical warfare deceased at the age of 69 was referred to Kahrizak Legal Medicine Center, Tehran, Iran for autopsy. According to Iranian law, deceased war veterans should undergo autopsy to have the potential damage to their organs due to chemical warfare identified, so that due compensation can be awarded to their heirs. When the chest was opened and the pericardium was removed to separate the heart from arterial bases, a sterile gauze was astonishingly found in the mediastinal cavity. According to the history provided by his children, the veteran had undergone coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) 10 years before, which had caused him physical and mental frailty and ultimately led to his death following a respiratory infection.

Background: Studies have shown that evening primrose oil (EPO) supplementation might be effective in improving lipid profile, however, the results are inconsistent. This study was performed to determine the direction and magnitude of the EPO effect on the lipid profile. Methods: PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Embase and Web of Science databases and Google Scholar were searched up to September-2019. Meta-analysis was performed using the random-effects model. Lipid profile including high-density lipoprotein (HDL), total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG), and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) was considered as the primary outcome. Results: A total of 926 articles were identified through database searching, of which, six RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. There were six studies on HDL, TC, and TG and four studies on LDL. EPO supplementation had no significant effect on TC, TG, LDL, and HDL. However, in subgroup analysis, a significant reduction in TG at a dose of �4 g/day (weighted mean difference WMD = �37.28 mg/dl; 95% CI: �73.53 to �1.03, p =.044) and a significant increase in HDL in hyperlipidemic subjects (WMD = 5.468 mg/dl; 95% CI: 1.323 to 9.614, p =.010) was found. Conclusion: Oral intake of EPO at a dose of �4 g/day significantly reduces serum TG levels and significantly increases HDL levels in hyperlipidemic subjects. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Critically ill patients are provided with the intensive care medicine to prevent further complications, including malnutrition, disease progression, and even death. This study was intended to assess nutritional support and its' efficacy in the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of Iran.This cross-sectional study assessed 50 ICU's patients out of 25 hospitals in the 10 major regions of Iran's health system and was performed using the multistage cluster sampling design. The data were collected from patient's medical records, ICU nursing sheets, patients or their relatives from 2017 to 2018. Nutritional status was investigated by modified NUTRIC score and food frequency checklist.This study included 1321 ICU patients with the mean age of 54.8 ± 19.97 years, mean mNUTRIC score of 3.4 ± 2.14, and malnutrition rate of 32.6%. The mean time of first feeding was the second day and most of patients (66%) received nutrition support, mainly through enteral (57.2%) or oral (37%) route during ICU stay. The patients received 59.2 ± 37.78 percent of required calorie and 55.5 ± 30.04 percent of required protein. Adequate intake of energy and protein was provided for 16.2% and 10.7% of the patients, respectively. The result of regression analysis showed that the odds ratio of mNUTRIC score was 0.85 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.74-0.98) and APACHE II was 0.92 (95%CI = 0.89-0.95) for the prediction of energy deficiency. Nutrition intake was significantly different from patient's nutritional requirements both in terms of energy (p 0.001) and protein (p 0.001). Also, mean mNUTRIC score varied notably (p = 0.011) with changing in energy intake, defined as underfeeding, adequate feeding, and overfeeding.The present findings shown that, provided nutritional care for ICU patients is not adequate for their requirements and nutritional status.

Aim Clinical trials on the effect of pycnogenol supplementation on cardiometabolic health have been controversial. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate the potential effect of pycnogenol supplementation on cardiometabolic profile. Methods PubMed, Scopus, and ISI Web of Science databases were searched until October 2018. RCTs that evaluated the effects of pycnogenol on cardiometabolic parameters were included. DerSimonian and Laird random-effect models were used to compute the weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Twenty-four RCTs including 1594 participants were included in the meta-analysis. Pycnogenol significantly reduced fasting blood glucose (WMD: −5.86 mg/dl; 95% CI: −9.56, −2.15), glycated hemoglobin (WMD = −0.29%, 95%CI: −0.56, −0.01), systolic blood pressure (WMD: −2.54 mmhg; 95% CI: −4.08, -0.99), diastolic blood pressure (WMD: −1.76 mmhg; 95% CI: −3.12, −0.41), body mass index (WMD: −0.47 kg/m2; 95% CI: −0.90, −0.03), LDL cholesterol (WMD: −7.12 mg/dl; 95% CI: −13.66, −0.58) and increased HDL cholesterol (WMD: 3.27 mg/dl; 95% CI: 0.87, 5.66). Conclusion This meta-analysis suggests that pycnogenol may have a role in preventing cardiometabolic disease. However, further well-designed RCTs are recommended to evaluate its long-term effects and explore the optimal duration of use and dosage.

The need for simple and reliable means of respiratory monitoring has existed since the beginnings of medicine. In the present study, we describe the use of color spectrographic analysis of breathing sounds recorded from the external ear canal as a candidate technology to meet this need. A miniature electret microphone was modified with the addition of an adapter to allow it to be placed comfortably in the external ear canal. The amplified signal was then connected to a real-time color spectrogram program running on a laptop personal computer utilizing the Windows operating system. Based on the results obtained, we hypothesize that the real-time display of color spectrogram breathing patterns locally or at a central monitoring station may turn out to be a useful means of respiratory monitoring in patients at increased risk of respiratory depression or other respiratory problems. Finally, we conducted a statistical analysis that suggests that significant spectrogram differences may exist among some groups investigated in the study.

Background: This study has been conducted to investigate the effect of family-centered support program on satisfaction of the family members of patients in intensive care unit. Hospitalization of patient in intensive care unit causes crisis in family. It is very important to pay attention to the role of patient’s family in support and care of patients in intensive care unit, to pay attention to fulfillment of the family’s needs in order to increase their satisfaction. Methods: This study was a quasi-experimental study with control group. 76 family members of the patients hospitalized in medical and surgical intensive care units were recruited through purposeful sampling method and were divided in two groups (control and trial with 38 people in each groups). In the control group, action was taken according to routine way of the unit and in trial group, intervention was conducted within three days in three dimensions of support, information and reassurance. In the fourth day, satisfaction was measured using Family Satisfaction Intensive Care Unit (FS-ICU) questionnaire. Results: Mean and standard deviation of the satisfaction with care in the control and trial groups were 37.78(18.36) and 69.26(8.39), respectively, mean and standard deviation of satisfaction in information and decision-making domains were 25.65(17.48) and 61.84(12.21) and total satisfaction score were 32.73(16.92) and 66.17(9.07), respectively. These scores indicated significant increase of satisfaction after intervention (p< 0.001). Conclusion: This research showed that information, emotional support and reassurance of the family of patients in intensive care unit has considerable effect on increase of their satisfaction. It is suggested to educate intensive care nurses and other health care personnel about psychosocial and behavioral skills to support family members during hospitalization of their patients in intensive care unit.

Aim: The present study was carried out to examine this hypothesis that administration of selenium can prevent the development of injuries by brain trauma and thus can modulate patients' functional recovery and also improve posttraumatic outcome. Materials and Methods: This double-blinded controlled trial was carried out on 113 patients who were hospitalized following traumatic brain injury (TBI) with Glasgow Coma Scale score of 4–12 that were randomly assigned to receive selenium within 8 h after injury plus standard treatment group or routine standard treatment alone as the control. The primary endpoint was to assess patients' functional recovery at 2 months after the injury based on extended Glasgow Outcome Scale score (GOS-E). Secondary outcomes included the changes in Full Outline of Unresponsiveness score (FOUR) score, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score, and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation (APACHE) III score, side effects of selenium, length of Intensive Care Unit (ICU) stay, and length of hospital stay. Results: There was no difference in the length of ICU and hospital stay, the trend of the change in FOUR and SOFA scores within 15 days of first interventions, and the mean APACHE III score on the 1 st and 15 th days between the two groups. Mortality was 15.8% in selenium group and 19.6% in control group with no between-group difference. No difference was revealed between the two groups in appropriate outcome according to GOS-E score at 60 ± 10 days and also 30 ± 5 days according to the severity of TBI. Conclusion: This human trial study could not demonstrate beneficial effects of intravenous infusion of selenium in the improvement of outcomes in patients with acute TBI.

Invasive candidiasis (IC) bears a high risk of morbidity and mortality in the intensive care units (ICU). With the current advances in critical care and the use of wide-spectrum antibiotics, invasive fungal infections (IFIs) and IC in particular, have turned into a growing concern in the ICU. Further to blood cultures, some auxiliary laboratory tests and biomarkers are developed to enable an earlier detection of infection, however these test are neither consistently available nor validated in our setting. On the other hand, patients' clinical status and local epidemiology data may justify the empiric antifungal approach using the proper antifungal option. The clinical approach to the management of IC in febrile, non-neutropenic critically ill patients has been defined in available international guidelines; nevertheless such recommendations need to be customized when applied to our local practice. Over the past three years, Iranian experts from intensive care and infectious diseases disciplines have tried to draw a consensus on the management of IFI with a particular focus on IC in the ICU. The established IFI-clinical forum (IFI-CF), comprising the scientific leaders in the field, has recently come up with and updated recommendation on the same (June 2014). The purpose of this review is to put together literature insights and Iranian experts' opinion at the IFI-CF, to propose an updated practical overview on recommended approaches for the management of IC in the ICU.

Invasive candidiasis (IC) is associated with high mortality in intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Timely diagnosis of this potentially fatal condition remains a challenge; on the other hand, the criteria for initiating empirical antifungal therapy in critically ill patients are not well defined in different patient population and ICU settings. Alongside the international guidelines, reaching regional and local consensus on diagnosis and management of IC in ICU setting is essential. This report summarizes our present status of IC management in ICU, considered by a group of Iranian experts in the fields of intensive care and infectious diseases. A round table of 17 experts was held to review the available data and discuss the optimal treatment strategies for IC in critical care setting. Comparative published data on the management of IC were analytically reviewed and the commonly asked questions about the management of IC in ICU were isolated. These questions were interactively discussed by the panel and audience responses were taken to consolidate point-to-point agreement with the panel arriving at consensus in many instances. The responses indicated that patients’ risk stratification, clinical discretion, fungal diagnostic techniques and the empirical therapy for IC are likely to save more patients. Treatment options were recommended to be based on the disease severity, prior azole exposure, and the presence of suspected azole-resistant Candida species. This report was reviewed, edited and discussed by all participants to include further evidence-based insights. The panel expects such endorsed recommendations to be soon formulated for implementation across the country.

The term ‘probiotic’ is derived from the Greek/Latin word “pro” and the Greek word “bios,” meaning “of life”. The concept of probiotics was first described by Metchnikoff in 1907 (1). The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations have defined probiotics as “live microorganisms, which, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host” (1, 2). These agents are often administered concurrently with substances that promote bacterial colonization and growth (prebiotics); in this instance, they are referred to as synbiotics. Probiotics are bacteria or yeasts. Most probiotics come from two groups: Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium. Each group comprises different species and strains. Some probiotics, such as Saccharomyces boulardi, are yeasts (3, 4). In a healthy individual, there is a homeostasis between commensal intestinal microbiota and pathogenic bacteria. The composition of colonic microbiota is fundamental to gut barrier function. Anaerobic bacteria are the predominant microorganisms in the gastrointestinal tract, preventing the overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria in a phenomenon termed “colonization resistance” (2). When this homeostatic mechanism is altered, an ecological imbalance occurs, and gut barrier function is impaired. Gut barrier and immune dysfunction is associated with the onset of systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome (MODS) in critically ill patients (5). Several mechanisms by which probiotics exert their beneficial activity have been proposed, including competitive exclusion of bacterial adherence; release of bacteriocins to inhibit the growth of pathogens; production of butyrate; antioxidative effects; stimulation of mucus and SIgA production; enhancement of macromolecular degradation, which reduces antigen load; suppression of immune cell proliferation; inhibition of epithelial cell nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) activation; modulation of epithelial apoptosis; maintenance of epithelial barrier; and modulation of immune function (2, 5, 6). There is substantial evidence that during periods of critical illness, significant alterations occur in the gut microflora due to several factors, including changes in circulating stress hormones, gut ischemia, immunosuppression, the use of antibiotics, and a lack of nutrients (6, 7). ICU and surgical patients are now believed to be at high risk of bacterial translocation, resulting in exacerbation of the disease state. Intestinal microbes can have a major role in such patients.