Feed intolerance in critical illness is associated with increased basal and nutrient-stimulated plasma cholecystokinin concentrations

What Was Tested

This randomized controlled trial paper looks at Cholecystokinin (CCK).

Delayed gastric emptying and intolerance to gastric feeding occur frequently in the critically ill.

In these patients, gastric motor responses to nutrients are disturbed.

Cholecystokinin (CCK) slows gastric emptying.

Who Took Part

The abstract describes 23 men taking part.

By PubMed's age tags, the people studied were adults, both men and women.

A total of 31 mechanically ventilated, critically ill patients (23 men, 51 +/- 3 yrs) and 28 healthy subjects (21 men, 43 +/- 2 yrs).

Subjects received two 60-min duodenal infusions of Ensure (complete balanced nutrition), at 1 and 2 kcal/min, in a randomized, single-blind fashion.

How the Study Was Run

In design terms this was a randomized and single-blind study.

The men were allocated by chance, so the Cholecystokinin (CCK) group and the comparison group should start out alike.

Only one side, usually the men, was kept unaware of whether Cholecystokinin (CCK) was given.

Level 3, mixed medical and surgical intensive care unit.

The nutrient infusions were separated by a 2-hr "washout" period.

Blood samples for measurement of plasma CCK concentrations were obtained immediately before and every 20 mins during nutrient infusion.

What Was Measured

PubMed files the paper under topics including APACHE, Analysis of Variance, Cholecystokinin, Critical Illness, Dietary Sucrose, Duodenum and Enteral Nutrition.

What This Means in Plain Language

The paper is a randomized and single-blind study of Cholecystokinin (CCK) in 23 men.

With fewer than 40 people, it is a small study, so it is better read as an early signal for further research than as a settled answer.

Results are reported in around 7 sentences of the abstract; we leave them to the paper itself rather than summarise them.

The publication is from 2007 (Critical care medicine), a journal based in United States.

More context: the Cholecystokinin (CCK) compound page, all human trials.