ObjectiveTo systematically evaluate the efficacy of probiotics in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) in aged people. MethodsPubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, CNKI, VIP, and WANFANG electronic databases were searched for studies published, and references of included studies and reviews were screened from database inception to April 2014. Only randomized, controlled trials involving patients older than 65 years were included. Furthermore, only the trials which combined antibiotic administration and probiotic therapy for the prevention of AAD and Jadad score >3 were extracted. ResultsA total of eight articles containing 3 680 subjects (1 843 in the probiotic group, 1 837 people in the control group) met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis showed that there was no significant difference in the risk of antibiotic-associated diarrhea (AAD) between probiotics and control groups[RR=0.76, 95%CI (0.51, 1.13), P=0.17]. Further subgroup analysis found that compared with the control group, saccharomyces[RR=1.24, 95%CI (0.70, 2.19), P=0.46], lactobacillus[RR=0.59, 95%CI (0.31, 1.13), P=0.11], multi-probiotics combination[RR=0.58, 95%CI (0.24, 1.41), P=0.23] in the probiotics group were not significantly different. ConclusionThere is no evidence to support that probiotics can reduce the risk of AAD among aged people administrated with antibiotics therapy.
Heart rate variability (HRV) is the difference between the successive changes in the heartbeat cycle, and it is produced in the autonomic nervous system modulation of the sinus node of the heart. The HRV is a valuable indicator in predicting the sudden cardiac death and arrhythmic events. Traditional analysis of HRV is based on a multi-electrocardiogram (ECG), but the ECG signal acquisition is complex, so we have designed an HRV analysis system based on photoplethysmography (PPG). PPG signal is collected by a microcontroller from human’s finger, and it is sent to the terminal via USB-Serial module. The terminal software not only collects the data and plot waveforms, but also stores the data for future HRV analysis. The system is small in size, low in power consumption, and easy for operation. It is suitable for daily care no matter whether it is used at home or in a hospital.