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Pilot: Feasibility of Intermittent Enteral Feeding in Ventilated MICU Patients

Pilot Study to Assess the Feasibility and Safety of Intermittent Enteral Feeding in Mechanically Ventilated Medical Intensive Care Unit Patients

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04164108
Enrollment
14
Registered
2019-11-15
Start date
2019-11-18
Completion date
2020-03-18
Last updated
2021-05-25

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Nutrition

Keywords

intensive care unit

Brief summary

Specific Aims: Aim 1: Evaluate the feasibility of intermittent feeding in intensive care unit patients who are mechanically ventilated. Aim 2: Evaluate the safety and patient tolerance of intermittent feeding in intensive care unit patients who are mechanically ventilated. Aim 3: Determine efficacy of intermittent feeding in provision of required nutrition in mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients. Aim 4: Determine association of intermittent enteral feeding with glycemic control in mechanically ventilated intensive care unit patients.

Detailed description

With the advent of the feeding pump, default enteral nutrition schedules in many medical intensive care units has shifted from intermittent or bolus feeding to continuous feeds. Clinical studies suggest that each of these strategies of providing nutrition is safe for patients with no significant difference in glycemic control or adverse effects. There is also data to suggest that approximating a more physiologic nutrition schedule with periods of feeding and periods of fasting may optimize gastrointestinal and metabolic hormonal feedback loops thereby effecting outcomes such as gastrointestinal motility, protein synthesis, and glycemic control, among others. Circadian rhythm research supports a temporally restricted period of feeding as well. Furthermore, periods of scheduled fasting will allow for provision of care that is incompatible with enteral feeds, without interrupting administration of nutrition (for example, procedures or testing, incompatible medications, etc). Aims 1 and 2 will clarify whether an intermittent enteral nutrition schedule is acceptable to ICU staff and patients. Aims 3 and 4 will test whether this enteral feeding schedule is effective in providing patients with required nutrition and acceptable glycemic control. This pilot will set the stage for a randomized controlled trial further investigating superiority of intermittent feeding as compared with the current standard of continuous feeding.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTIntermittent Enteral Nutrition Protocol

Patients will receive total recommended nutrition divided into four equal meals, delivered at a rate of 400 cc/hr at 8:00, 12:00, 16:00, 20:00. Titration schedule will include administering 50% of volume for first two feeds, then 75%, and then 100%.

Sponsors

Yale University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
SEQUENTIAL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Medical intensive care unit patients located in Yale-New Haven Hospital, York Street campus, North Pavilion 9 or 10. * Hospitalized for less than or equal to 72 hours. * Patients who are mechanically ventilated via endotracheal tube for at least 24 hours. * Patients must have enteral access (nasogastric tube, orogastric tube). * Team plans to initiate tube feeds.

Exclusion criteria

* Prior upper gastrointestinal surgery (including but not limited to gastric bypass surgery, gastric banding, complete or partial gastrectomy, Whipple procedure; cholecystectomy is acceptable). * Chronic enteral nutrition (prior to current admission). * History of significant esophageal dysmotility (history of GERD is acceptable). * Unable to have head of bed elevated at least 30 degrees while intubated and being fed (this is standard protocol). * Enteral access terminates post-pyloric (ie nasojejunal or jejunostomy tubes are to be excluded). * Pre-existing percutaneous gastrostomy tube. * History of small bowel obstruction or ileus on current admission. * History of gastroparesis. * Clinical care team is not planning to initiate enteral nutrition. * At risk of refeeding syndrome. * Pregnant patients. * Patients receiving neuromuscular blockade. * Patients with glycemic emergency (HHNK, DKA, severe hypoglycemia resulting in MICU admission). * Patients otherwise excluded by the treating physician.

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Proportion complete protocolUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of patients who continue to receive intermittent enteral feeds during the entire course of their enteral nutrition or seven days, whichever comes first.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Early mobilityUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of patients able to participate in early mobility.
Proportion correct pump rateUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of the feeds that enteral feeding pump provides nutrition at appropriate rate.
Proportion clogged enteral accessUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of patients whose enteral access is clogged.
Proportion completed mealsUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of meals that are delivered.
Staff satisfactionUp to 7 daysThis will be measured using a qualitative survey of bedside nurses and ICU nutritionists regarding perceptions of intervention feasibility.
Proportion held to accommodate a medicationUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of patients who had enteral nutrition held to accommodate a medication.
Insulin drip usageUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of glucose measurements closest to 8:00, 12:00, 16:00, 20:00 (including on basic metabolic panel and point of care testing) that are less than or equal to 60.
Non-diabetic insulin usage proportionUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of patients who do not have a pre-existing diagnosis of diabetes mellitus who require any insulin dose.
Proportion held to accommodate a procedureUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of patients who had enteral nutrition held to accommodate a procedure.
Proportion DiarrheaUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of patients with diarrhea.
Symptomatic elevated gastric residual volumeUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of patients with gastric residual volume \>500 AND any of the following symptoms: * New onset nausea or vomiting * Clinical concern for ileus or obstruction, as documented in progress notes * New onset abdominal distension, as documented in progress notes * Abdominal X-ray (not obtained for purposes of line/tube placement verification)
Percent of recommended nutrition deliveredUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the average daily calorie intake as percentage of goal calories (determined by RD).
Nutrition delayUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the time (hours) from intubation to patient receiving 50% of caloric needs.
Adequate nutrition provisionUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of days that patient is receiving enteral nutrition that at least 70% of caloric need is administered.
Inadequate nutrition provisionUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of days that patient is receiving enteral nutrition that less than 30% of caloric need is administered.
Hyperglycemia proportionUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of glucose measurements closest to 8:00, 12:00, 16:00, 20:00 (including on basic metabolic panel and point of care testing) that are greater than or equal to 180.
Proportion feeding intoleranceUp to 7 daysThis is defined as the proportion of patients with one or more of the following conditions: * New onset nausea or vomiting * Clinical concern for ileus or obstruction, as documented in progress notes * New onset abdominal distension, as documented in progress notes * Abdominal X-ray (not obtained for purposes of line/tube placement verification)

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026