Factors associated with gastrointestinal dysmotility in critically ill patients

Critical illness may disrupt nutritional, protective, immune, and endocrine functions of the gastrointestinal tract, leading to a state of gastrointestinal dysmotility. We aimed to identify factors associated with the occurrence of gastrointestinal dysmotility in critically ill patients. A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted, using patient files as a source of data. The study included 185 critically ill patients treated in the intensive care unit of the University Clinical Center, Kragujevac, Serbia, from January 1, 2016, to January 1, 2022. Significant risk factors associated with some form of gastrointestinal dysmotility were acute kidney injury (with paralytic ileus, nausea, vomiting, and constipation), recent abdominal surgery (with ileus, nausea, vomiting, and constipation), mechanical ventilation (with ileus, and nausea), age (with ileus and constipation), and use of certain medication such as opioids (with ileus, gastro-esophageal reflux, nausea, vomiting, and constipation), antidepressants (with ileus, nausea, and vomiting), and antidiabetics (with ileus). On the other hand, Charlson comorbidity index had divergent effects, depending on the form of gastrointestinal dysmotility: it increased the risk of gastro-esophageal reflux but protected against ileus, nausea, and vomiting. In clonclusion, recognition of factors associated with gastrointestinal dysmotility should initiate preventative measures and, thus, accelerate the recovery of critically ill.