Neonatal Med.  2015 Aug;22(3):173-176. 10.5385/nm.2015.22.3.173.

A Case of Lactobacillus Bacteremia during Probiotic Supplementation in a Very Preterm Infant with Short Bowel Syndrome

• Kim SN
• Lee HY
• Kim S
• Lee BK
• Jung YH
• Huh J
• Seo JG
• Shin SH
• Kim EK
• Kim HS
• Choi JH

• KMID: 2312981
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5385/nm.2015.22.3.173

Abstract

Probiotics are living micro-organisms that beneficially affect the composition of the host intestinal microflora. In very preterm infants, probiotics reportedly help reduce necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), invasive fugal colonization and sepsis, and enable the establishment of complete enteral feeding at an earlier stage. However, emerging evidence has indicated the risk of potential side effects of probiotic use, such as gut organism translocation, including probiotic organisms, in infants that are more premature. In the present report, we describe a case of Lactobacillus bacteremia in a very preterm infant with short bowel syndrome. Lactobacillus sepsis developed during the therapeutic use of this organism for diarrhea and diarrhea-related malabsorption. The organism isolated from the blood sample was found to be of the same strain as that administered, by using molecular techniques. The findings of the present case suggest that probiotics should be carefully used, particularly in very preterm infants with altered intestinal permeability such as short bowel syndrome.

Keyword

Probiotics; Lactobacillus; Very preterm infant; Short bowel syndrome; Bacteremia

MeSH Terms

Bacteremia*
Colon
Diarrhea
Enteral Nutrition
Enterocolitis, Necrotizing
Humans
Infant
Infant, Newborn
Infant, Premature*
Lactobacillus*
Permeability
Probiotics*
Sepsis
Short Bowel Syndrome*