title: Waking up the gut in critically ill patients.
abstract: Multiorgan failure frequently develops in critically ill patients. While therapeutic efforts in such patients are often focused on the lungs, on the cardiovascular system as well as on the kidneys, it is important to also consider the functional alterations in gut motility and hormone secretion. Given the central regulatory functions of many gut hormones, such as glucagon-like peptide 1, glucagon-like peptide 2, ghrelin and others, exogenous supplementation of some of these factors may be beneficial under conditions of critical illness. From a pragmatic point of view, the most feasible way towards a restoration of gut hormone secretion in critically ill patients is to provide enteral nutritional supply as soon as possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, St Josef-Hospital, Ruhr-University Bochum, Gudrunstraße 56, 44791 Bochum, Germany. juris.meier@rub.de
authors.forename: Juris J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Meier
mesh_terms: D016638:Critical Illness; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D052216:Glucagon-Like Peptide 1