Acta anaesthesiologica Scandinavica
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Acta Anaesthesiol Scand · Sep 2014
Review Meta AnalysisDefinition, prevalence, and outcome of feeding intolerance in intensive care: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Clinicians and researchers frequently use the phrase 'feeding intolerance' (FI) as a descriptive term in enterally fed critically ill patients. We aimed to: (1) determine what is the most accepted definition of FI; (2) estimate the prevalence of FI; and (3) evaluate whether FI is associated with important outcomes. Systematic searches of peer-reviewed publications using PubMed, MEDLINE, and Web of Science were performed with studies reporting FI extracted. ⋯ In summary, FI is inconsistently defined but appears to occur frequently. There are preliminary data indicating that FI is associated with adverse outcomes. A standard definition of FI is required to determine the accuracy of these preliminary data.