title: Clinical outcomes of manual bowel decompression (milking) in the mechanical small bowel obstruction: a prospective randomized clinical trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this prospective randomized study was to investigate the effects of manual bowel decompression in patients who were operated on for mechanical small bowel obstruction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between March 2008 and February 2010, 40 consecutive patients with mechanical small bowel obstruction were randomized into 2 clinically comparable groups. The intestinal content of the dilated small bowel was caressed to the stomach (by milking) and aspirated via a nasogastric tube in the milking group (group M, n = 20) and left uncaressed in the control Group (group C, n = 20). Patients' characteristics and general operative outcomes were compared and analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The resumption of a regular diet and postoperative hospital stay (P = .68) were not significantly different in groups M and group C. Similarly, there were no differences between the 2 groups regarding respiratory complications (P = .34), bacterial translocation (P = 1), or wound infection (P = 1).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings suggest that routine milking is unnecessary in mechanical small bowel obstruction.
authors: Department of General Surgery, Baskent University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Republic of Turkey. draliezer@yahoo.com
authors: Ali
authors: A
authors: Ezer
authors: Nurkan
authors: N
authors: Torer
authors: Tamer
authors: T
authors: Colakoglu
authors: Sule
authors: S
authors: Colakoglu
authors: Alper
authors: A
authors: Parlakgumus
authors: Sedat
authors: S
authors: Yildirim
authors: Gokhan
authors: G
authors: Moray
mesh_terms: D018988:Bacterial Translocation; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000601:surgery*; D007421:Intestine, Small; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey / Q000453:epidemiology