Risk factors of the complications following enteral nutrition in ICU critically ill patients

Abstract

Objective To investigate the enteral nutrition (EN) complications in ICU critically ill patients and their risk factors. Methods The relevant information of 376 EN patients from three tertiary hospitals in Qingdao from September 2015 to April 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. The incidences of EN complications and their risk factors were analyzed. Results In these 376 patients, the complications included diarrhea (n=117, 31.12%), constipation (n=89, 23.67%), and reflux (n=102, 27.13%). The incidence of diarrhea showed significant difference in terms of the application of antibiotics (OR=3.55), age (OR=1.03), fasting (OR=4.07), oral potassium preparations (OR=2.91), nasal feeding rate (OR=1.03), and nasal feeding volume(OR=1.002). The incidence of constipation showed significant difference in terms of nasal fluid type (OR=7.79), analgesics (OR=10.34), age (OR=1.06), nasal feeding rate(OR=0.95), and nasal feeding volume (OR=0.97). The incidence of reflux showed significant difference in terms of the use of analgesics (OR=2.143), mechanical ventilation (OR=2.071), nasal feeding pathway(OR=1.838), age(OR=1.025), nasal feeding rate(OR=1.042), and nasal feeding volume(OR=1.001). Conclusion Application of antibiotics, increased age, fasting, oral potassium preparations, increased nasal feeding rate, and increased daily feeding volume are risk factors of EN-related diarrhea; short peptide EN solution, application of analgesics, and increased age are risk factors of EN-related constipation for enteral nutrition patients; and mechanical ventilation, application of nasogastric tube, increased age, increased nasal feeding rate, and increased nasal feeding are risk factors of EN-related relux in enteral nutrition patients. Key words: Intensive care; Enteral nutrition; Complication