The Impact of Combined Therapy with Lactobacillus acidophilus and Montmorillonite Powder on the Inflammatory Response in Pediatric Rotavirus Enteritis.

INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of the compound Lactobacillus acidophilus in combination with montmorillonite powder on the inflammatory response in children with rotavirus enteritis (RVE).

METHODS

A total of 94 children with RVE admitted to our hospital between June 2021 and April 2023 were selected and divided into two groups using a random digit table method. Each group consisted of 47 children. Both groups were administered standard symptomatic treatment upon admission. The control group was additionally administered montmorillonite powder, while the observation group was administered compound L. acidophilus tablets in addition to the treatment administered to the control group. Both the treatments were administered for a duration of 5 days. Parameters such as clinical efficacy, symptom relief time (diarrhea, vomiting, fever, dehydration), inflammatory response (C-reactive protein [CRP]), and adverse reactions (constipation, bloating, drowsiness, skin allergy, dry mouth) were compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Posttreatment, the observation group exhibited a significantly higher total effective rate (95.74%) compared to the control group (78.72%). The symptom relief time for diarrhea ([2.23 ± 0.48] days), vomiting ([1.38 ± 0.25] days), fever ((1.91 ± 0.68) days), and dehydration ([2.74 ± 0.53] days) in the observation group were all significantly shorter than those in the control group ([3.42 ± 0.71] days, [2.65 ± 0.54] days, [2.76 ± 0.84] days, and [4.60 ± 0.89] days), respectively. The posttreatment CRP levels in the observation group were (5.26 ± 1.32) mg/L, lower than those in the control group (7.45 ± 1.58) mg/L, although this difference was not statistically significant. The incidence of adverse reactions was 14.89% in the observation group and 8.51% in the control group, with no significant difference between the groups.

CONCLUSION

The combination of compound L. acidophilus and montmorillonite effectively shortens the symptom recovery time and improves inflammatory response in children with RVE, while maintaining a high safety profile.