FACTORS AFFECTİNG ENTERAL FEEDİNG INTOLERANCE İN INTENSİVE CARE UNİT PATİENTS

Enteral nutrition is the first-line nutritional support method in critically ill patients because it helps preserve gastrointestinal system integrity, reduce the risk of infection, and meet metabolic requirements. However, gastrointestinal motility is frequently impaired in critically ill patients due to physiological stress, hemodynamic instability, sedative and vasopressor medications, mechanical ventilation, and underlying diseases. This may result in enteral feeding intolerance (EFI), which complicates nutritional management.

This prospective observational study aims to determine the demographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment-related factors associated with enteral feeding intolerance in adult intensive care unit patients and to evaluate the association between enteral feeding intolerance and morbidity and mortality.

Adult patients who are started on enteral nutrition in the Anesthesiology and Reanimation Intensive Care Unit will be prospectively followed. No additional intervention will be performed. Patients will be monitored according to routine intensive care and enteral nutrition protocols. Enteral feeding intolerance and potentially associated factors will be recorded prospectively.

The study is planned to include 102 patients.