Impact of abdominal massage on enteral nutrition complications in adult critically ill patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: Adult critically ill patients are prone to complications when receiving enteral nutrition, including feeding intolerance. Although abdominal massage is an effective intervention, its effects on enteral nutrition complications in adult critically ill patients are controversial.

Objective: To summarize and evaluate the effect of abdominal massage on enteral nutrition complications in adult critically ill patients.

Methods: We searched databases (e.g., PubMed, the Cochrane Library, Embase, and Web of Science) from inception until November 2020 for relevant studies published in English. The methodological quality of selected studies was assessed with the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2.0 tool. And we used of PRISMA 2020 guidelines. The meta-analysis results were reported as mean difference (MD) and events, and the heterogeneity of the studies was evaluated using I².

Results: Seven studies including 472 participants (aged≥18 years) met the inclusion criteria. The mean gastric residual volume (GRV) (MD=-42.41, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -71.43, -13.39; P = 0.004) and incidence of abdominal distension (odds ratio [OR]=0.08, 95%CI: 0.03, 0.19; P < 0.00001) were significantly lower in the massage therapy group compared with controls. The incidence of vomiting (OR=0.09, 95%CI: 0.01, 0.72; P = 0.02) and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) (OR=0.20, 95%CI: 0.05, 0.77; P = 0.02) were statistically significantly lower in the abdominal massage group compared with controls.

Conclusion: Abdominal massage reduces GRV, vomiting, abdominal distension, and VAP in adult critically ill patients. Given the limited number of reviewed studies, small number of patients examined, and short intervention periods, further randomized controlled trials are needed that use accurate methodology, longer interventions, and larger sample sizes to confirm the effect of abdominal massage on feeding intolerance in adult critically ill patients.

Keywords: Abdominal massage; Complication; Enteral nutrition; Meta-analysis.