PP055 - TOLERABILITY AND GASTROINTESTINAL EFFECTS OF PROBIOTIC FERMENTED FOODS IN POST–INTENSIVE CARE SYNDROME: A DIETARY MICROBIOME INTERVENTION

PP055

TOLERABILITY AND GASTROINTESTINAL EFFECTS OF PROBIOTIC FERMENTED FOODS IN POST–INTENSIVE CARE SYNDROME: A DIETARY MICROBIOME INTERVENTION

A. Hoeg¹, A. Schuchard¹, J. Sung², A. Sayed ¹, A. Zaki¹, K. Laudanski³, A. Johnson⁴, O. Gajic¹, B. Harris¹, L. Karnatovskaia^1,*

¹Internal Medicine, ²Quantitative Health Sciences, ³Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, ⁴Nursing, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, United States

Rationale: Modulation of the gut–brain axis through nutrition-based microbiome interventions remains underexplored in post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) recovery. We evaluated the tolerability and symptomatic effects of a probiotic fermented food intervention in this population.

Methods: Patients with PICS received education on fermented probiotic foods and were instructed to add these foods to their usual diet (target ≥6 servings/day achieved over 4 weeks and maintained over 8 weeks). Compliance with study protocol, gastrointestinal (GI), neurocognitive, and psychiatric symptoms were assessed weekly.

Results: During weeks 1–4, 14/24 participants (58%) reported new or worsened GI symptoms (bloating, gas, reflux, or constipation), while 7/24 (29%) experienced improvements, including reduced diarrhea, decreased flatulence, improved stool consistency, and increased bowel regularity. Concurrently, 9/24 (38%) reported increased energy and/or concentration, and 3/24 (13%) reported improved mood. During weeks 5–12, 7/24 (29%) reported ongoing GI symptoms (diarrhea, flatulence, heartburn, bloating), while 12/24 (50%) experienced improvements (reduced diarrhea and heartburn, less bloating/flatulence, improved stool firmness, and more regular bowel habits) compared to pre-intervention. Neurocognitive benefits persisted in 9/24 (38%), and improved mood was reported in 5/24 (21%). Overall, 16/24 (67%) demonstrated improvement from early to late phases.

Conclusion: Introduction of probiotic fermented foods in patients with PICS was feasible and associated with transient early GI symptoms that improved over time. Improvements in bowel habits, stool consistency, and reflux were observed, alongside sustained neurocognitive and emerging mood benefits. These findings support the potential role of gut microbiome-targeting strategies in PICS recovery.

References: PMID: 34256014

Disclosure of Interest: None declared