January 12, 2010

The British Medical Journal (BMJ 2010;340:c77) summarized an investigation into the Utrecht pancreatitis study (Lancet 2008, 371:651-9) by 3 agencies, the Dutch Healthcare Inspectorate, the Central Commission on Research Involving Human Participants, and the Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority. They concluded that the study procedures were flawed, especially as related to reporting of adverse events, but that there was no causal link between procedural flaws and higher number of deaths in the probiotic consumption group.