It is a retrospective observational cohort study with a pre and post intervention group.
METHODS: Medical records were retrospectively reviewed of postoperative
Intensive Care patients with postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction (aged >60 years) in the
Surgical Intensive Care Unit from January 2017-December 2018.
RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-seven post-
surgical Intensive Care patients with postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction were analysed; 74 patients received Mirabilite + Lactulose treatment and 93 patients received
Lactulose treatment. The recovery rate of bowel sounds was better in the Mirabilite + Lactulose group (62.16%) compared with the
Lactulose group (37.63%) after 3-day treatment (p = 0.002) and the relative risk (RR) was 1.65 (95% CI, 1.20, 2.27). Moreover 70.27% patients in the Mirabilite + Lactulose group finally had
flatus or defecation compared with 46.24% patients in
Lactulose group (p = 0.003) and the RR was 1.52 (1.17, 1.98). The abdominal girth and Inter Abdominal Pressure in Mirabilite + Lactulose group showed significantly greater decrease over a 3-day period compared with
Lactulose group (4.86 vs. 3.46 cm, p = 0.027; 4.80 vs. 3.11 mmHg, p = 0.002 respectively). The
pain score had greater decrease from the baseline in Mirabilite + Lactulose group than in
Lactulose group (2.40 vs. 1.11; p < 0.01). Patients in the Mirabilite + Lactulose group had shorter
hospital stay than the
Lactulose group 12.5 (SD 3.51) versus 13.9 (SD 5.14), p = 0.05.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that external use of Mirabilite combined with
Lactulose can be considered as an easy intervention to improve postoperative gastrointestinal mobility in older
intensive care patients who suffer from postoperative gastrointestinal tract dysfunction after surgery.
IMPACT: Our results provide a great option to alleviate the sufferings of postoperative patients. The externally use Mirabilite is a painless and safe interventions that is easy to implement by ICU nurses.