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Bowel Function of Long‐Term Tube‐Fed Patients Consuming Formulae with and without Dietary Fiber
Author(s) -
Shankardass K.,
Chuchmach S.,
Chelswick K.,
Stefanovich C.,
Spurr S.,
Brooks J.,
Tsai M.,
Saibil F.G.,
Cohen L.B.,
Edington J.D.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of parenteral and enteral nutrition
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.935
H-Index - 98
eISSN - 1941-2444
pISSN - 0148-6071
DOI - 10.1177/0148607190014005508
Subject(s) - bowel function , tube (container) , dietary fiber , term (time) , fiber , medicine , parenteral nutrition , function (biology) , gastroenterology , chemistry , food science , biology , materials science , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , evolutionary biology , composite material
Diarrhea, constipation and subsequent laxative use are chronic problems in long‐term enterally fed patients. We have conducted a double‐blind randomized crossover study to evaluate the effects of two enteral formulae (Enrich, 12.8 g of dietary fiber per 1000 kcal and Ensure, fiber‐free) on stool frequency, fecal weight, laxative use, gastrointestinal tolerance and bowel function in chronic care tube‐fed patients. Twenty‐eight subjects (24 male, 4 female) completed the study. Mean daily number of stools and mean daily fecal wet weight in Enrich‐fed patients were not significantly different from those of patients receiving Ensure. Ensure‐fed patients required significantly more laxatives (p = 0.02) than those receiving Enrich. There were 26 reports of diarrhea in the Ensure‐fed group as compared to 6 in the Enrich‐fed group, and this difference was significant (p = 0.006). Reporting rates for constipation were not significantly different in the two groups. At the end of the study, the bowel function of 57.1% of patients receiving Enrich was improved when compared with that of 14.3% of Ensure‐fed patients, and this difference was significant (p = 0.005). These results suggest that the addition of dietary fiber to enteral formulae improves gastrointestinal tolerance and bowel function, and reduces laxative use in long‐term enterally fed patients. (Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition 14: 508–512, 1990)