Abstract

Diarrhea, a serious outcome for patients, commonly occurs following institution of enteral feeding. One suggested etiology for the problem is bacterial contamination of the enteral feeding solution. The purpose of this study was to extend previous pilot research on the occurrence of bacterial contamination and diarrhea in tube-fed ICU patients by comparing two enteral feeding protocols. The protocols compared were the routine hospital protocol vs an aseptic protocol for the preparation and maintenance of enteral nutrition. A convenience sample of 63 ICU patients, who met the inclusion criteria, were followed from the first day of enteral feeding to the fourth day. All subjects received the same isotonic formula (Osmolite). Twenty-seven percent (n = 17) of subjects developed diarrhea. There were no significant differences in the incidence of diarrhea between the two protocol groups. Bacterial contamination was low (n = 9, 14%), and was not significantly different between protocol groups. Women had a significantly higher incidence of diarrhea (p = 0.02) as did subjects whose primary medical diagnosis was respiratory (p = 0.02). Subjects with a neurologic medical diagnosis had significantly less diarrhea (p = 0.05). Also, subjects receiving aminoglycosides (p = 0.02) or penicillin (p = 0.03) had a higher incidence of diarrhea. Serum albumin was significantly lower in patients with diarrhea (p = 0.05). This study indicates that the development of diarrhea in enterally fed patients is multifactorial.

Description

This dissertation has also been disseminated through the ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. Dissertation/thesis number: 9538190; ProQuest document ID: 304246929. The author still retains copyright.

Author Details

Lynda J. Davidson, PhD

Sigma Membership

Upsilon Phi

Type

Dissertation

Format Type

Text-based Document

Study Design/Type

Quasi-Experimental Study, Other

Research Approach

Quantitative Research

Keywords:

Hospital-Acquired Infection, Critical Care Patients, Feeding Tubes

Advisor

Linda M. Workman

Degree

PhD

Degree Grantor

Case Western Reserve University

Degree Year

1995

Rights Holder

All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record.

All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository.

All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.

Review Type

None: Degree-based Submission

Acquisition

Proxy-submission

Date of Issue

2019-04-10

Full Text of Presentation

wf_yes

Download

Share

COinS