Factors Influencing the Occurrence of Diarrhea in Patients Admitted to Intensive Care Units

Abstract

Purpose This study was done to examine incidence of diarrhea and explore factors influencing occurrence of diarrhea in patients admitted to intensive care units (ICU). Methods For this retrospective research, data based on inclusion criteria were collected from the electronic medical records for 142 patients admitted to a university hospital ICU from September 2014 to August 2015. Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS/WIN 22.0 program. Results Incidence of diarrhea was 53.5% during the 12-month study period. Diarrhea occurred at 4.54 days and continued for 1.79 days on average. Average total frequency of diarrhea was 5.56 times. Increased ICU stay, enteral nutrition, and infection state were significant predictors of the occurrence of diarrhea. Infection increased risk of diarrhea 3.4 times and enteral nutrition increased risk of diarrhea to 2.2 times greater than patients not receivng enteral nutrition. Conclusion Diarrhea in ICU patients is associated with multiple factors that should be considered to implement preventive strategies. Infection control should be emphasized, and close monitoring of diarrhea should be provided for those with enteral nutrition. Further studies are warranted to determine standardized clinical definition of diarrhea and diarrhea risk factors in ICU patients with different levels of severity and comorbidity. 주요어: 설사, 중환자실, 위험요인, 장관영양 Key words: Diarrhea, Intensive care units, Risk factors, Enteral nutrition