Digestive diseases and sciences
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The gut flora is crucially involved in host homeostasis. However, the changes in the gut flora during the early phase of a critical illness are unknown. ⋯ The gut flora in critically ill patients changed immediately after a severe insult. The concentrations of the three major short-chain fatty acids were immediately decreased in tandem with the destruction of the gut flora. The gut flora and the concentration of major short-chain fatty acids did not improve during the first 2 weeks after hospital admission. At the same time, the number of harmful bacteria gradually increased.