A recent prospective study (D Turner et al. Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, izz298, https://doi.org/10.1093/ibd/izz298) with 28 children found improvement in 5-day PUCAI scores in patients who received quadruple antibiotics in combination with IV corticosteroids compared to those who received IV corticosteroids alone.

Link: Antibiotic Cocktail for Pediatric Acute Severe Colitis and the Microbiome: The PRASCO Randomized Controlled Trial

Methods:

Hospitalized children with ASC (pediatric ulcerative colitis activity index [PUCAI] ≥65) were randomized into 2 arms: the first received antibiotics in addition to IVCS (amoxicillin, vancomycin, metronidazole, doxycycline/ciprofloxacin [IVCS+AB]), whereas the other received only IVCS for 14 days. The primary outcome was disease activity (PUCAI) at day 5. Microbiome was analyzed using 16S rRNA gene and metagenome.My t

Twenty-eight children were included: 16 in the AB + IVCS arm and 12 in the IVCS arm (mean age 13.9 ± 4.1 years and 23 [82%] with extensive colitis). The mean day-5 PUCAI was 25 ± 16.7 vs 40.4 ± 20.4, respectively (P = 0.037). Only 3 and 2 children, respectively, required colectomy during 1-year follow-up (P = 0.89). Microbiome data at time of admission were analyzed for 25 children, of whom 17 (68%) had a predominant bacterial species (>33% abundance); response was not associated with the specific species, whereas decreased microbiome

My take: Combination antibiotic therapy appears to improve disease activity in children with acute severe ulcerative colitis.  More and larger studies are needed to determine whether this is associated with improved long-term outcomes as well as which antimicrobials are optimal.

Related blog posts -ASUC:

• Management of Acute Severe Ulcerative Colitis
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• Accelerated Infliximab Dosing in Acute … – gutsandgrowth
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