ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the clinical efficacy of Clostridium butyricum tablets in treatment of diarrhea in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis.Methods Eighty-seven patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis and diarrhea were collected from Pujiang People' s Hospital in Zhejiang province during January 2011 and May 2013.According to random number table,patients were divided into Clostridium butyricum treated group (n =44) and control group (n =43).Both groups were given antiviral,liver support,jaundice-relieving and fluid infusion treatments,while patients in Clostridium butyricum group were given Clostridium butyricum tablets (2 tables per time,3 tables per day for 4 weeks) additionally.Diarrhea remission time,improvements in liver function and the complications were observed.Differences in measurement data were compared with t test,and enumeration data were compared with x2 test or rank-sum test.Results The total effective rate in Clostridium butyricum group was 95.45％ (42/44),while that in control group was 74.4％ (32/43) (Z =2.82,P ＜ 0.05).After 4 weeks of treatment,the improvements of alanine aminotransferase (ALT),aspartate transaminase (AST),total bilirubin (TBil),albumin (Alb) and Child-Pugh (CTP) score in Clostridium butyricum group were more marked than those in control group (t =2.13,2.57,4.83,5.93 and 3.30,P ＜ 0.01).Hepatic encephalopathy occurred in 2 patients in control group and none in Clostridium buayricum group.Conclusion Clostridium butyricum has significant curative effect on diarrhea in patients with hepatitis B-related liver cirrhosis,and it can also improve liver function and reduce the incidence of hepatic encephalopathy.