ASSESSING THE IMPACT OF GASTRIC INTOLERANCE FEATURES, INCLUDING VOMITING, FLATULENCE, DIARRHEA, AND STOMACH ACHE, ON PATIENTS IN A STUDY GROUP

Dr. Rahul Sharma, Dr. Rupesh Choudhary, Dr. Divya Drishti*, Dr. Ankita Jamwal

ABSTRACT

Background: Feeding intolerance is a common issue in critically ill patients, which refers to the difficulty in tolerating and digesting enteral feeding. Symptoms of feeding intolerance can include vomiting, bloating, abdominal distension, and diarrhea. Gastric residual volume (GRV) is a commonly used method to assess gastric emptying, although its use is still controversial. Other gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunctions, such as gastritis, lactose intolerance, food intolerance, and fat intolerance, can also cause symptoms similar to feeding intolerance. These symptoms can be associated with worse clinical outcomes, highlighting the importance of early recognition and management of feeding intolerance. Methods: Nursing plays a crucial role in monitoring for feeding intolerance in critically ill patients. Nursing functions include assessing signs and symptoms of feeding intolerance, monitoring for changes in GRV, and exploring the causes of GI symptoms through subjective assessment of the patient's medical and family history, as well as any digestive or nutritional issues. Result: By closely monitoring for feeding intolerance and promptly identifying its symptoms, nursing interventions such as adjusting the type of feeding, feeding rate, or switching to parenteral nutrition can be implemented. This can improve the patient's clinical outcomes and reduce the risk of complications associated with feeding intolerance, such as aspiration pneumonia or gut ischemia. Conclusion: In conclusion, one of the signs of gastric feeding intolerance, high GRV, is significantly prognostic of ICU mortality.It is estimated that about 27% of hospitalised patients in general units and approximately 36% of patients in intensive care units experience food intolerance.

Keywords: Feeding intolerance, critically ill patients, enteral feeding.