Study protocol of a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial on the effect of a multispecies probiotic on the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in persons with spinal cord injury

Study design: Multi-centre, double-blind randomised placebo-controlled study. Objective: To investigate whether the use of a multispecies probiotic can prevent antibiotic-associated diarrhoea in people with spinal cord injury (SCI). Setting: Three Dutch SCI rehabilitation centres. Methods: Fifty-six people aged 18–75 years with SCI during inpatient rehabilitation, who require antibiotics, will be given probiotics or placebo randomly assigned (T0). After cessation of the antibiotics (T1), the participants will use probiotics/placebo for 3 more weeks (T2). Defaecation, assessed by the Bristol Stool Scale, and bowel management will be monitored daily until 2 weeks after cessation of probiotics/placebo intake (T3). Also, the degree of nausea and information on quality of life will be collected at T0, T1, T2 and T3. Main outcome measures: The difference between the incidence of antibiotic-associated diarrhoea between people with SCI using probiotics compared to those using a placebo at the moment the antibiotics stops, the probiotics stops and two weeks thereafter. Secondary outcome measures: The time to reach effective bowel management, degree of nausea and quality of life. Registration: The Dutch Trial Register- NTR 5831.