title: Determining small intestinal transit time and pathomorphology in critically ill patients using video capsule technology.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Gastrointestinal motility can be impaired by serious illness or medications, compromising enteral feeding in critical care patients. We compared small bowel transit time and morphology in neurosurgical critical care (ICU) patients with those in healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated small intestinal transit time, quality of visualization and intestinal morphology in 16 ICU patients (Glasgow Coma Scale score from 6 to 14) and 16 healthy ambulatory patients. Video data were obtained with PillCam SB capsules (Given Imaging Ltd., Yoqneam, Israel).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Transit time was 5.1 h (3.9-7.7) (median [IQR]) in ICU and 4.3 (4.1-5.3 h) in ambulatory patients (P = 0.481). Six ICU patients (37%) and two ambulatory patients (12%) had pathological findings (ulcers, petechia, erosions) (P = 0.10).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Median small bowel transit times in critically ill neurosurgical patients were similar to those in ambulatory subjects, although transit times were more variable in the critically ill patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA. s0rauc01@louisville.edu
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rauch
authors.forename: Kristine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.forename: Alparslan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Turan
authors.forename: Norbert
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Roewer
authors.forename: Daniel I
authors.initials: DI
authors.lastname: Sessler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D053705:Capsule Endoscopes; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies