Comparison of Stay in a Hospital in Early Versus Late Enteral Feeding

Authors

Abstract

objective of this study is to compare the length of stay in a hospital in early vs late enteral feeding.

Methods

This randomized control clinical trial was done at South Surgical Ward, Mayo Hospital Lahore Pakistan. The study was completed in Six months following the approval of the synopsis. Sample of 116 patients (58 in each group) was determined. The patients were allocated in two different groups; group A and a group B, by lottery. In the study group (A); the patients were kept nil by mouth for the first six hours following procedure. Six hours post-operative patient was allowed sips of clear fluids and was removed the nasogastric tube; the amount of fluid intake was increased as per tolerance of the patient. The diet was changed from fluids to soft diet and then to normal diet from 2nd post-operative day. A chart was maintained of any vomiting, Abdominal pain tenderness or swelling during feeding. In the control group (B); the patients were kept on maintenance fluids given intravenous post- operatively. Length of hospital stay was recorded. Data was entered in SPSS- 20. Quantitative variables like age were presented as mean +S.D.

Results

 The mean age of cases was 27.51 ± 9.67 years while the mean of ages in group-A and Group-B was 26.91 ± 8.67 years and 28.10 ± 10.62 years respectively with no statistical difference, p-value = 0.510(> 0.05). In this study there were 71(61.2%) and 45(38.8%). In group-A there were 41(70.69%) males and 17(29.31%) females while in the group-B there were 38(65.52%) males and 20(34.48%) females. The mean hospital stay in groups A and B was 4.98 ± 1.40 and 3.97 ± 0.84 days respectively, the mean hospital stay in group-B was significantly less than that of the group-A , p-value < 0.0001.

Conclusion

 This study established the role of early feeding in minimizing hospital stay, so in future we can use early feeding in these cases.

Keywords:

Ileostomy, Fasting, Early feeding, Postoperative Complication, Hospital stay.

Published

2022/06/15