None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Postoperative impairment of gut function following gastrointestinal surgery is a major cause of delay in resumption of normal oral intake and discharge from hospital. Gum-chewing as a form of sham-feeding (the act of chewing without swallowing) is thought to have a stimulatory effect on the normal reflexes associated with bowel movement. The purpose of this study is to examine whether this simple and cost-efficient treatment helps to improve recovery time following surgery to the gastrointestinal tract.
Interventions
Commercially available sugar-free chewing gum in peppermint flavour. One piece is administered four times a day and the participants in the treatment arm are asked to chew the gum for 15minutes each time. Treatment is commenced as soon as practicable following the surgery (usually on admission to ward) and continue until post-operative day 14 or discharge, whichever occurs earlier.
Sponsors
Division of Surgery, John Hunter Hospital
Study design
Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Treatment
Masking
Blinded (masking used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to -2147483648 No limit
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
Elective surgery involving any form of gastric or bowel resection with or without primary anastomosis.
Exclusion criteria
Patients with known risk of aspiration eg. cognitively or intellectually impaired, previous stroke with residual neurological deficiency involving the facial-oro-pharyngeal muscles. Patients who require prolonged intubation/sedation immediately post-op.
Outcome results
None listed