title: Randomised clinical trial: prucalopride, a colonic pro-motility agent, reduces the duration of post-operative ileus after elective gastrointestinal surgery.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Previous studies have shown that recovery of colonic transit is a major determinant of post-operative ileus and clinical recovery after gastrointestinal surgery. Prucalopride is a highly selective 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor-4 agonist with colonic pro-motility effects.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect and safety of prucalopride on post-operative ileus and surgical outcomes after elective gastrointestinal surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this phase II randomised clinical trial, 110 patients undergoing elective gastrointestinal surgery were randomised to either oral prucalopride (2 mg/day) (n = 55) or placebo (n = 55). Intervention was started 24 h after surgery and stopped after defecation or maximally at 7 days. The primary outcome was time to defecation. Secondary outcomes included time to first passage of flatus, tolerance of solid food, nasogastric tube reinsertion, post-operative length of stay, hospital readmission, overall cost, time to walk independently, surgical complications and inflammatory parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients who received prucalopride had a shorter time to defecation (65.0 vs. 94.5 h, P = 0.001), passage of flatus (53.0 vs. 73.0 h, P < 0.001), and post-operative length of stay (7.0 vs. 8.0 days, P = 0.001) than controls. The number of patients with prolonged ileus (>5 days) (16.4% vs. 34.5%, P = 0.026) and the C-reactive protein level on post-operative day 5 (35.67 vs. 59.07 mg/L, P = 0.040) were lower in the prucalopride group. There was no significant difference in post-operative Clavien-Dindo grade III and IV complications (P = 0.606) between the groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prucalopride is a safe and effective treatment to reduce post-operative ileus and systemic inflammation without affecting post-operative complications in patients undergoing elective gastrointestinal surgery. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02004652.
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001572:Benzofurans / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D013505:Digestive System Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D045823:Ileus / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001572:Benzofurans; C406662:prucalopride