الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Gastrointestinal system is an important system in the stabilization of normal and healthy life. The gut normally serves as an effective barrier against bacteria and endotoxin present in the intestinal lumen. By its motility and secretory functions, it can stabilize the essential requirement of energy and nutrients. Gastrointestinal (GI) function is not included in any of the widely used scoring systems assessing organ failures in critical illness. The importance of gastrointestinal failure (GIF) in critically ill patients is underestimated in the clinical practice.
Goulet et al. 2004 nicely defined gastrointestinal failure (GIF) as ”the reduction of functional gut mass below the minimal amount necessary for digestion and absorption adequate to satisfy the nutrient and fluid requirements for maintenance in adults or growth in children”.
Reitinam et al 2006 defined GIF as the presence of at least one of the following gastrointestinal symptoms or signs documented in patient data during their ICU stay: increase gastric residual volume or food intolerance (FI), presence of gastrointestinal bleeding and/or signs of ileus.
The present study was a prospective analysis of adult patients who admitted to Critical Care Department of Alexandria Main University Hospital along six months from November 2006 to April 2007. The study included 100 adult critically ill patients of both sex admitted consecutively with first two consequences feeding without any of GIF symptoms (FI, GI hemorrhage and ileus) and stay in ICU more than 3 days duration. We correlated the demographic data of patients (age, sex and BMI), documented preliminary diagnosis, selected sings (oral temperature, GCS and MAP), selected laboratory investigation as (pH, Pao2, K, Hb%, RBS, serum creatinine and albumin), use of Vasoactive drugs, severity of illness (using SOFA and APACHEII) with assessment of outcome of the patient according to mechanical ventilation duration, total ICU duration and mortality.
The study showed no significant statistical relation between the sex of patients or BMI of them or preliminary diagnosis as respiratory or toxicological diseases and the incidence of GIF. Patients with preliminary diagnosis were cardiac or hyperglycemic diseases in our study showed less incidences to developing GIF.
In the present study, age of the patients above 60 years was observed more frequently to associate with higher incidence of GIF. Also neurological diseases or post arrested cases showed higher incidences of GIF.