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Undiluted and Diluted Nutrition

The Influence of Diluted and Undiluted Enteral Nutrition on Nutritional Tolerance in Critically Ill Patients After Gastrointestinal Surgery - a Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Not yet recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07352150
Enrollment
80
Registered
2026-01-20
Start date
2026-02-02
Completion date
2027-09-30
Last updated
2026-01-20

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

Conditions

Critical Illness, Gastro Intestinal Surgery, Enteral Feeding Intolerance, Gastro-Intestinal Disorder, Quality of Lifte

Keywords

Zonulin, Intestinal fatty-acid binding protein (I-FABP), Ketones, enteral feeding, GNAK

Brief summary

Adult patients after elective major abdominal surgeries who are planned to be admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) can be included in the trial. Each patient will be fed via the gastrointestinal tract. Half of the patients will receive enteral nutrition (EN) with additional fluids, and the rest will receive undiluted EN. The primary aim of this study is to assess feeding intolerance in both patient groups.

Detailed description

Approximately 50 % of the intensive care unit (ICU) population has feeding intolerance (FI), which includes nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and others. Some studies suggest that FI can be alleviated in patients fed with supplemental parenteral nutrition (PN). Adult patients after elective major abdominal surgeries who are planned to be admitted to the ICU can be included in the trial. After the ICU admission, the patient will be stabilized, including warming, correction of water, electrolyte, and acid-base disorders, and blood transfusion if required. The fluid therapy will be monitored using the transpulmonary dilution technique. Then, an attending physician will contact an investigator. The investigator will decide about the randomization (no contraindication). The investigators plan to maintain fluid therapy with continuous Glucose-Na-K Baxter 50 mg/ml solution for infusion (GNAK). GNAK will be administered in the same flow as EN, enterally or intravenously (i.v.). Patients will be randomized to one of two studied groups: Continuous EN will be administered solely to the GI tract in the first group. The same dose of GNAK will be given i.v. (IVF group). In the second group, GNAK will be administered enterally with EN, a routine practice in our department (ENF group). The attending physician will correct all fluid disturbances with balanced fluids or blood products according to laboratory tests and hemodynamic monitoring. GNAK will only be given as maintenance fluid with EN. The primary outcome of our study will be feeding intolerance (FI). FI is a composite outcome consisting of at least one of the following: * Incidents of vomiting * Administration of prokinetic agents. Starting with both erythromycin (125mg twice daily enterally) and metoclopramide (10mg three times per day i.v.) due to significant EN intolerance, i.e. ≥ 2 incidents of vomiting/24h; \> 500 mL of gastric volume/6h; presence of gastric contents/nutrition in the endotracheal tube due to regurgitation Secondary outcomes (routinely performed procedures): * Incidents of nausea (nausea measured with a 4-point verbal descriptive scale (0=no nausea, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe) * Incidents of diarrhea (≥ three loose stools per day) * Increased gastric residual volume (\> 500 ml of gastric aspirate/ 6 hours). Only in patients after lower GI tract surgeries (with intact stomach and gastric feeding) * Achieving target EN on day three and later: 80% of protein requirements according to ESPEN (1.3/kg of ideal body weight (patients BMI \< 30) or adjusted body weight, BMI ≥ 30) * PN requirements (days of support, grams of proteins, extra protein calories per day, contribution of PN in total nutrition) * Insulin consumption (units per day and total per stay) * Electrolyte supplementation (potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium in mmol/ stay) * Enteral access obstruction (rinsing with fluid, need for replacement) per stay * Intraabdominal pressure (twice daily) * Sequential Organ Failure Assessment Score (daily) * Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (daily) * Fluid balance: additional fluids given intravenously during ICU stay * Blood products transfusion * Acute kidney injury, according to KDIGO definition * Usage of vasoactive drugs: cumulative dose per stay * Hemodynamic parameters, measured at least twice per day, such as stroke volume variation, pulse pressure variation, cardiac output, global end-diastolic volume, systemic vascular resistance, and extravascular lung water * Laboratory tests, including lactate, electrolytes, arterial blood gas analysis, coagulation, total blood count * Infections during the stay (site, antibiotics requirements) * Mechanical ventilation time (hours) * ICU stay (days) * Hospital stay (days) * Hospital mortality Additional procedures: * Intestinal fatty-acid binding protein (I-FABP) collection from blood and urine once daily during ICU stay * Serum zonulin on the 1st day, 4th day, and at ICU discharge * Serum ketones collection at ICU admission, 4th day, and discharge * Gut microbiome collection at ICU admission and discharge (for 60 patients, 30 participants in each group) Follow-up: • Quality of recovery - phone interview 30 days after randomization

Interventions

GNAK will be administered to the gastrointestinal tract with EN in the same volume.

Undiluted EN will be given to the gastrointestinal tract. GNAK, in the same volume, will be administered intravenously.

Sponsors

John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
Lead SponsorOTHER
Center of Oncology of the Lublin Region
CollaboratorUNKNOWN
Provincial Specialist Hospital in Lublin
CollaboratorUNKNOWN

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)

Intervention model description

Two groups will be randomly allocated to ENF or IVF group

Eligibility

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

Inclusion criteria

Adults, ≥18, Scheduled for major abdominal surgery requiring ICU admission Having access to the GI tract (gastric or jejunal) Planned to be fed enterally

Exclusion criteria

Patients unable to give informed consent After emergency surgeries Without access to the GI tract Individuals with contraindications to EN, such as short bowel syndrome, uncompensated shock, acidosis (pH \< 7.1; lactate \> 5 mmol/l), bleeding from the upper GI tract, obstruction, intestinal ischemia, abdominal compartment syndrome Patients with symptomatic gastro-esophageal reflux Expected ICU stay \< 3 days Pregnancy and lactation

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of participants who received prokinetic agents.From the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstAdministration of prokinetic agents starting with both erythromycin (125mg twice daily enterally) and metoclopramide (10mg three times per day i.v.) due to significant EN intolerance, i.e. ≥ 2 incidents of vomiting/24h; \> 500 mL of gastric volume/6h; presence of gastric contents/nutrition in the endotracheal tube due to regurgitation
Number of patients having vomiting.From the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstAny incidents of vomiting.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of participants having diarrheaFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came first≥ three loose stools per day
Number of participants having increased gastric residual volumeFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came first\> 500 ml of gastric aspirate/ 6 hours. Only in patients after lower GI tract surgeries (with intact stomach and gastric feeding)
Number of participants in whom target EN will be achievedFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstAchieving target EN on day three and later: 80% of protein requirements according to ESPEN (1.3/kg of ideal body weight (patients BMI \< 30) or adjusted body weight, BMI ≥ 30)
Insulin consumptionFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstInsulin consumption (units per day and total per stay)
Electrolyte supplementationFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstElectrolyte supplementation (potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium in mmol/ stay)
Intraabdominal pressureFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstIntraabdominal pressure via urinary catheter twice daily
Sequential Organ Failure Assessment ScoreFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstCalculating SOFA daily - from 0 to 24 - 0 means the lack of organ failure; 24 multiorgan failure
APACHE IIFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstAPACHE II (Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II) measured daily. Ranging from 0 to 71. 0 - meaning no organ failure. 71 - meaning multiorgan failure.
Fluid balanceFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstAdditional crystalloids or colloids given intravenously during ICU stay measured in milliliters
Blood products transfusionFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstTransfusion of any blood products, including red-packed cells, fresh-frozen plasma, platelets, and cryoprecipitate, measured in units per stay.
Acute kidney injury (AKI)From the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstRecognition of AKI according to Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) definition
Vasoactive drugsFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstUsage of vasoactive drugs including noradrenaline, dobutamine, dopamine, adrenaline, and others measured in milligrams as cumulative dose per stay
Stroke volume variationFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstMeasurement of stroke volume variation presented in percent twice daily during the patient stay
Cardiac outputFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstMeasurement of cardiac output (L/min) twice daily during the patient's stay
Systemic vascular resistanceFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstMeasurement of systemic vascular resistance (dynes/sec/cm-5) twice daily during the patient's stay
LactatesFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstAt least once daily, arterial blood lactates (mmol/L) will be measured
Complete blood count (CBC)From the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstOnce daily CBC will be tested
Blood proteinsFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstPlasma protein concentrations (g/dL) will measured at least once a week.
Infection siteFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstSite of infection during the ICU stay.
AntibioticsFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstAntibiotics wchich will be used in ICU.
Blood albuminsFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstPlasma albumin concentrations (g/dL) will measured at least once a week.
C-reactive protein (CRP)From the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstCRP (mg/L) will be measured once daily.
Procalcitonin (PCT)From the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstPCT (ng/mL) will be measured once daily.
Mechanical ventilationFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstMechanical ventilation time in hours per stay
Intensive care unit (ICU) stayFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstICU stay in days
Hospital stayFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstHospital stay in days
Hospital mortalityFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstIn-hospital mortality
. Intestinal fatty-acid binding protein (I-FABP)From the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstI-FABP concentrations (nmol/mL) will be measured in the blood and urine once daily.
ZonulinFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstZonulin concetration (ng/mL) will measured in the patient's blood on the 1st day, 4th day, and at the ICU discharge.
KetonesFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstSerum ketone concentrations (mmol/L) will be collected and measured at ICU admission, 4th day, and discharge
MicrobiomeFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstIntestinal microbiome collection upon admission and discharge from the ICU. Sequencing of the V3 V4 region of the 16SrRNA gene using NGS using Illumina technology, 2x250 bp, min. 100,000 readings, including DNA isolation. Preparation of the OTU table and basic alpha biodiversity measures
Days of support with PNFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstPN requirements (days of support, grams of proteins, extra protein calories per day, contribution of PN in total nutrition)
Quality of recovery30 days after randomizationPhone interview using a modified version of Quality of recovery-40 scale (37-185 points,more points better) 30 days after randomization
Number of participants having nauseaFrom the date of randomization until the date of the ICU discharge or death but no longer than 8 weeks, whichever came firstnausea measured with a 4-point verbal descriptive scale (0=no nausea, 1=mild, 2=moderate, 3=severe)

Countries

Poland

Contacts

CONTACTMichal Borys
michal.borys@kul.pl+48506350569
CONTACTKatarzyna Kosz
Michalborys1@gmail.com+48 508612175
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORMichał Borys

Medical Faculty, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

Outcome results

None listed

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