Cochrane · systematic review · CD012941
Probiotics for preventing acute otitis media in children
Scott, AM, Clark, J, Julien, B, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2019 · Cochrane Library
Acute Respiratory InfectionsAMSTAR 2: not assessed
SoF tableOnly the outcomes this review put in its Summary of Findings table are listed (the Cochrane Handbook caps them at about seven per comparison). Its other analyses are not shown here.
Questions
8
current version
GRADE rated
7
No studies
1
Included studies
NR
No studies 1 · 12.5%Ungraded 0 · 0%Very low 0 · 0%Low 1 · 12.5%Moderate 5 · 62.5%High 1 · 12.5%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
Questions and results
Probiotic compared to placebo for preventing acute otitis media in children
Population: children up to age 18 years
| Outcome | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Proportion of children with AOM (overall) Probiotic vs placebo | RR 0.77 [0.63, 0.93] | 16 studies · 2961 participants | Moderate Downgraded: inconsistency |
Proportion of children with AOM: children not prone to AOM Probiotic vs placebo | RR 0.64 [0.49, 0.84] | 11 studies · 2227 participants | Moderate Downgraded: inconsistency |
Proportion of children with AOM: children prone to AOM Probiotic vs placebo | RR 0.97 [0.85, 1.11] | 5 studies · 734 participants | High |
Severity of AOM Probiotic vs placebo | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Adverse events Probiotic vs placebo | OR 1.54 [0.6, 3.94] | 4 studies · 395 participants | Low Downgraded: imprecision |
Time off school for child Probiotic vs placebo | no estimate extracted | 5 studies · 1280 participants | Moderate Downgraded: inconsistency |
Difference in the use of antibiotics Probiotic vs placebo | RR 0.66 [0.51, 0.86] | 8 studies · 1768 participants | Moderate Downgraded: inconsistency |
Difference in proportion of children with other infections Probiotic vs placebo | RR 0.75 [0.65, 0.87] | 11 studies · 3610 participants | Moderate Downgraded: inconsistency |