Table 4

Gastric emptying measurements in various groups of diagnosis


Intra-cerebral injurya
(n = 30)
Burns
(n = 9)
Multi-trauma
(n = 29)
Sepsis
(n = 44)
Non-GI post-operative respiratory failure
(n = 12)
Cardiac injury
(n = 15)

Delayed gastric emptying
67%
77%
72%
61%
33%b
27%c
Relative risk of delayed GEd (CI)
1.8 (1.1–2.8)
4.2 (1.1–15.0)
2.0 (1.2–3.5)
1.5 (1.02–2.0)
1.1(0.5–2.8)

Age (years)
51.5 ± 1.5
37.2 ± 0.9
47.5 ± 1.8
65.8 ± 0.9
59.3 ± 1.2
58.8 ± 1.3
Days in ICU prior to study
9.8 ± 0.6
9.5 ± 1.5
7.0 ± 0.5
7.7 ± 0.5
6.3 ± 0.4
7.5 ± 2.1
APACHE II score






     Admission
23.7 ± 0.4
24.1 ± 0.5
23.2 ± 0.6
25.9 ± 0.5
22.3 ± 0.6
21.9 ± 0.6
     Study day
17.5 ± 0.5
14.3 ± 0.6
16.4 ± 0.6
18.5 ± 0.6
17.8 ± 0.5
17.5 ± 0.5
Blood glucose concentrations on study day (mmol/l)
7.9 ± 0.2
8.9 ± 0.3
7.5 ± 0.2
8.5 ± 0.3
7.3 ± 0.4
8.7 ± 0.3
Medications, % (n)






     Opioid ± benzodiazepine
80% (24)
89% (8)
89% (26)
82% (36)
83% (10)
73% (11)
     Propofol
83% (25)
33% (3)
69% (20)
57% (25)
58% (7)
40% (6)
     Inotropes
63% (19)
89% (8)
52% (15)
91% (40)
58% (7)
53% (8)
Enteral feeding rate (ml/hour)






     Prior to breath testing
28 ± 2
47 ± 3
29 ± 3
52 ± 3
53 ± 3
76 ± 3
     After breath testing
58 ± 3
67 ± 2
40 ± 2
64 ± 3
55 ± 2
76 ± 2
Length of stay (days)






     In ICU
20 ± 3
34 ± 9
19 ± 2
20 ± 2
20 ± 2
16 ± 3
     In hospital
46 ± 6
70 ± 5
52 ± 6
37 ± 3
37 ± 2
29 ± 2
Prokinetic therapy for feeding during ICU admissione, % (n)
40% (12)
33% (3)
35% (10)
32% (14)
0% (0)
20% (3)

aSeven patients had head injury due to multi-trauma. bP < 0.05, versus the other four groups on hierarchical regression analysis after controlling for age, admission APACHE II scores, and serum creatinine. cP < 0.01, versus the other four groups on hierarchical regression analysis after controlling for age, admission APACHE II scores, and serum creatinine.dCompared with patients with cardiac injury.eIn all patients, prokinetic agents were ceased more than or equal to 24 hours prior to the assessment of GE. APACHE II, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II; CI, 95% confidence interval; GE, gastric emptying; GI, gastrointestinal; ICU, intensive care unit.

Nguyen et al. Critical Care 2007 11:R16   doi:10.1186/cc5685