African Journal of
Pharmacy and Pharmacology

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Pharm. Pharmacol.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0816
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJPP
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 2274

Full Length Research Paper

A meta analysis of the efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii in children with acute diarrhea

Jun Pan, Jiang Hu, Xusheng Qi and Ziliang Tu*
Department of Pediatrics, Taihe Hospital Affiliated with the Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan 442000, China.
Email: [email protected]

  •  Accepted: 22 February 2012
  •  Published: 08 June 2012

Abstract

This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of Saccharomyces boulardii in treating children with acute diarrhoea. Medicinal databases and review articles were screened with prespecified criteria for randomized controlled trials that reported the effects of S. boulardiiand other antidiarrhoeal drugs in treating children with acute diarrhoea. The quality of the study was critically evaluated. A total of 678 articles were found and 8 articles were finally included. Heterogeneity test: Diarrhoea duration analysis (Qstatistic=33.58, p<0.0001, I2=79%), stool frequency on day 3 analysis (Qstatistic=4.53, p=0.10, I2 = 56%), stool frequency on day 4 analysis (Qstatistic=0, p=1.00, I2=0%) and stool frequency on day 7 analysis (Q statistic=0.18, p=0.68, I2=0%). The results of meta-analysis showed that  when compared with the control group, S. boulardii was more effective in diarrhoea duration (MD=-0.92, 95% CI: -1.32 to -0.52), stool frequency on day 3 (MD=-1.92, 95% CI: -1.63 to -0.95), day 4 (MD=-0.51, 95% CI: -0.89 to -0.33) and day 7 (MD=-0.44, 95% CI: -0.72 to -0.16), respectively. The evidence currently available shows that S. boulardii treatment is used for children with acute diarrhoea.

 

Key words: Saccharomyces boulardii, acute diarrhoea, meta-analysis.