Recent Insights into the Evolving Role of the Gut Microbiome in Critical Care.

This review explores the evolving understanding of gut microbiota's role in critical illness, focusing on how acute illness and exposures in intensive care unit (ICU) environment negatively impact the gut microbiota and the implications of these changes on host responses in critically-ill patients. Focusing on recent findings from clinical and preclinical studies, we discuss the effects of inflammation, enteral nutrient deprivation, and antibiotics on gut microbial dynamics. This review aims to enhance comprehension of microbial dynamics in the ICU and their implications for clinical outcomes and therapeutic strategies.