Extract
The protective effects of commensal, anaerobic,gut microbiota have been established in various acute diseases [1–3]. This raises the question whether antibiotics depleting these anaerobic bacteria come with unexpected side-effects. We, therefore, read with great interest the article by Chanderraj et al. [4], which identified associations between treatment with anti-anaerobic antibiotics and adverse clinical outcomes in 3032 mechanically ventilated patients. By characterising gut microbiota in 116 patients and through animal experiments, the authors found evidence of causal effects of anti-anaerobic antibiotics on infectious and non-infectious outcomes. These findings demonstrate the harmful effects of anaerobic microbiota depletion in intensive care unit (ICU) patients.
Abstract
In a retrospective cohort of 15 908 emergency department patients, empiric use of anti-anaerobic antibiotics was associated with decreased overall and infection-free survival in patients with suspected infection in the emergency department https://bit.ly/3TRbE0F
Footnotes
Conflict of interest: The authors have nothing to disclose.
- Received March 8, 2023.
- Accepted March 22, 2023.
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