RAMHeR: Reuse And Mining Health2.0 Resources, Editorial by Associate Editor, Assos. Prof. Dr. Abdeljalil Khelassi, Head of Knowledge and Information Engineering Research Team, Abou Bekr Belkaid University of Tlemcen, Algeria, March 2015
Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common gastrointestinal disorder in children. Recently, probiotics have been suggested as a treatment option for gastrointestinal disorders. The most effective species and the most appropriate doses are still unknown.
Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of Lactobacillus GG (LGG) for treating IBS in pediatric patients.
Methods: In a controlled, double blind, randomized trial, patients with IBS diagnosed by Rome III criteria from August 2012 to September 2012 at Dr. Sheikh Hospital, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were assigned to one of two groups, i.e., intervention and control groups. For four weeks, the intervention group received a probiotic in capsule form that contained LGG at a concentration of 1×1010 cfu/ml bacteria. For the same period, the control group received a placebo capsule that had the same shape and color but only contained inulin, which also was present in the LGG capsules. The primary outcome was any change in the severity of the patients’ pain, and we used a five-point Likert scale to evaluate the severity of their pain. Secondary outcomes were ghanges of the functional scale, stool patterns, and associated problems.
Results: Fifty-two patients participated in the study, and 26 patients were assigned randomly to each of the two groups. The severity of the patients’ pain decreased significantly in the intervention group after one, two, three, and four weeks of treatment, as indicated by P-values of 0.01, 0.00, 0.00, and 0.00, respectively. Also, there was significant improvement in the functional scale after two weeks of treatment (P-value ≤ 0.00).
Conclusion: Lactobacillus GG at a concentration of 1×1010 cfu/ml for a period of four weeks can lessen the severity of the patients’ pain and improve the functional scale in patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Probiotics can have therapeutic effects for IBS patients.
Trial registration: The trial is registered at the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (http://www.irct.ir/) with IRCT registration number: IRCT201205219825N1.
Funding: All phases of this study were supported by Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Iran.
The worldwide spread of COVID-19 as an emerging, rapidly evolving situation, and the dramatic need of urgent medicine or vaccine, has rapidly brought new hypotheses for pathophysiology and potential medicinal agents to the fore. It is crucial that the research community provide a way to publish this research in a timely manner.
To contribute to this important public health discussion, the Electronic Physician Journal is excited to announce a fast-track procedure to help researchers publish their articles on COVID-19 related subjects that fall under the broad definition of public health, internal medicine, and pharmacology. We are especially welcome to all hypotheses about the pathological basis of the COVID-19 infection and the possible characteristics of potential medicine and vaccine. Submit your manuscript here
Our previous editorial (June 2020)
Lessons from COVID-19 pandemic and the Morocco’s success story.
The 6th World Conference on Research Integrity (WCRI) is to be held on June 2-5, 2019 in Hong Kong.
The WCRI is the largest and most significant international conference on research integrity. Since the first conference in Lisbon in 2007, it has given researchers, teachers, funding agencies, government officials, journal editors, senior administrators, and research students opportunities to share experiences and to discuss and promote integrity in research. Read more:
TDR Clinical Research and Development Fellowships
Call for applications
Deadline for submission: 7 March 2019, 16:00 (GMT)
TDR provides fellowships for early- to mid-career researchers and clinical trial staff (e.g. clinicians, pharmacists, medical statisticians, data managers, other health researchers) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to learn how to conduct clinical trials. Read more:
Meta-Analysis Workshops in New York, USA, and London, UK, in April and May 2019
Don't miss this exceptional opportunity to learn how to perform and report a Meta-analysis correctly. Two Meta-analysis workshops are organized in April and May 2019 by Dr. Michael Borenstein in New York, USA (April 08-10, 2019) and London, UK (May 27-29).
About the Instructor
Dr. Michael Borenstein, one of the authors of Introduction to Meta-Analysis, is widely recognized for his ability to make statistical concepts accessible to researchers as well as to statisticians. He has lectured widely on meta-analysis, including at the NIH, CDC, and FDA. Read more:
Should clinical trials be covered by insurance? An interview with Dr. Ayat Ahmadi, epidemiologist and a researcher at the Clinical Trial Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Iran. March 28, 2016
