Probiotics for the Prevention of Antibiotics Associated Diarrhoea and Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhoea
Probiotics for the Prevention of Antibiotics Associated Diarrhoea and Clostridium Difficile Associated Diarrhoea
The investigators aim to investigate whether the routine use of the probiotic formulation
 VSL#3 co-prescribed with antibiotics reduces the incidence of both Antibiotic associated
 diarrhoea and Clostridium Difficile associated diarrhoea.
The investigators aim to find out whether VSL#3 can prevent Antibiotic associated diarrhoea
 and Clostridium Difficile associated diarrhoea when VSL#3 is giving during a course of
 systemic antibiotics. Patients will be randomized in a 1:1 proportion to receive either one
 sachet of VSL#3 or a similar looking placebo twice a day. This will be given for the length
 of the antibiotic course and another week thereafter. Follow-up will last until 28 days after
 the last antibiotic dose. Patient restarted on antibiotics during follow-up will be restarted
 on the trial medication and the 28 day follow-up will be recommenced.

 This trial has 2 co-primary outcome measures.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Adults aged 18 or older

 -  Hospital inpatients

 -  On systemic antibiotics for an infection

 -  Antibiotics started within last 48 hours

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Diarrhoea at screening

 -  Unable to take enteral meds

 -  Patients on intensive care units

 -  Severe Immunosuppression (neutropenia, AIDS, congenital immunoparesis, chemotherapy)

 -  Risk of endocarditis (Artificial heart valves, history of rheumatic heart disease or
 infective endocarditis)

 -  Regular consumption of probiotics until 1 week prior to admission

 -  Acute severe pancreatitis Persistent vomiting (two days or more)