Compliance of Early Feeding As A Part of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery Protocols in Patients After Gastrointestinal Surgeries

Objective: To assess the compliance of early feeding as a part of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols in patients after gastrointestinal surgeries and factors related with poor compliance Study Design: Comparative Cross-sectional Study Place and Duration of Study: Surgical Department Combined Military Hospital Rawalpindi, Pakistan from May 2021 to Apr 2022. Methodology: A prospective study was conducted on 95 patients undergoing different types of gastrointestinal surgeries at surgical unit of CMH RWP during the study period. All the patients were started with early feeding as a part of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols. They were observed for 72 hours for presence of poor tolerability or non-compliance. Relationship of relevant socio-demographic factors was assessed with poor tolerability of early feeding. Results: A total of 95 patients with gastrointestinal surgeries performed during the study period were included in the study. All of them were given early feeding as a part of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols. Out of 95, 73(76.8%) had good compliance and tolerability to early feeding while 22(23.1%) patients had one or more non-tolerability parameters within 48 hours of surgery. Advancing age, raised total leucocyte count and presence of comorbid illness had statistically significant relationship with non-tolerability of early feeding (p-value<0.05). Conclusion: Most of the patients undergoing gastrointestinal surgeries showed good compliance and tolerability to early feeding as a part of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols. Elderly patients, patients with comorbid medical problems or those with high post-operative total leucocyte count were found more at risk....