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Does Chewing Gum After Elective Laparoscopic Colectomy Surgery Decrease Ileus?

NCT00632801 · Status: TERMINATED · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 3

Last updated 2014-12-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The incidence of ileus after laparoscopic colectomy continues to pose complications for the patient, staff, and the healthcare system. Postoperative ileus remains a source of morbidity and a major determinant of length of stay after abdominal surgery. Clinicians have devised strategies that minimize postoperative ileus. Gum chewing, an inexpensive intervention, is theorized to activate the cephalic- vagal reflex and increase the production of gastrointestinal hormones associated with bowel motility. Four studies examining gum chewing as an intervention to prevent ileus were found. These relatively few studies have demonstrated inconsistencies. Because of the small sample size of the four studies and the inconsistencies of the results, there is not enough evidence to change practice. There are no indications of risks associated with gum chewing as an adjunct therapy along with standard postoperative interventions. The purpose of this prospective, randomized control study is to examine if chewing gum in adult patients after elective laparoscopic colectomy decreases ileus compared with standard post-operative care.

Patients will be randomized by weeks admitted and the patients in the gum chewing group (intervention group) will chew one stick of gum the first post-operative day, after the nasogastric tube is removed or if they patient does not have a nasogastric tube, with the head of bed elevated a minimum of 30 degrees for 30 minutes, three times a day at set intervals: 0900, 1400, and 2100. The gum will be kept in the Accudose cabinet and distributed by the medication nurse. The gum chewing regimen will continue until the first bowel movement. All patients in the non-intervention group will receive standard preoperative and postoperative regimens.

Patient demographics that will be collected include gender, age, current medical condition, pre-operative medications, type of surgery, operative duration in minutes, anesthesia duration in minutes, estimated operative blood loss, whether they had an epidural or a PCA, date and time nasogastric tube was discontinued, length of stay, date of discharge, complications, and whether or not they had an ileus. Patients (if appropriate) and nurses will be instructed on how to complete the bedside bowel record to the nearest hour.

Conditions

  • Ileus

Interventions

OTHER

chewing gum

The patients in the gum chewing group (intervention group) will chew one stick of gum the first post-operative day, after the nasogastric tube is removed or if they patient does not have a nasogastric tube, with the head of bed elevated a minimum of 30 degrees for 30 minutes, three times a day at set intervals

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • State University of New York - Upstate Medical University

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Melanie Kalmanm, RN PhD · SUNY UMU

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
89 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2007-12-31
Primary Completion
2011-12-31
Completion
2011-12-31

Countries

  • United States

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT00632801 on ClinicalTrials.gov