Pilot Study of Sham Feeding in Postoperative Neonates

Objective Sham feeding may enhance development of oral skills in neonates after bowel surgery and decrease stress levels in mothers. In this pilot study, we test the feasibility of sham feeding, identify safety hazards, and assess maternal satisfaction. Study Design A convenience sample of 15 postoperative neonates was enrolled. Sham feeding with unfortified human milk was offered following a strict advancement protocol beginning with 5 mL once daily and increasing up to 30 mL, three times daily. Continuous gastric suction was used during sham feeding. Each mother completed a satisfaction survey. Sham-fed gastroschisis patients were compared with a historic cohort. Results All 15 patients were able to sham feed. A total of 312 sham feeds were offered with a median of 23 sham events per patient. Four minor complications occurred during sham feeding. No differences were noted between 11 sham-fed gastroschisis patients and 81 historic controls. The mothers reported a decrease in stress after sham feeding using a 5-point score (3.8 ± 1.4 vs. 1.5 ± 0.7, p < 0.005) and 100% satisfaction with sham feeding. Conclusion Sham feeding is feasible for neonates after bowel surgery and is highly rated by mothers. Key Points

Effect of sham feeding on postoperative ileus

Background: To evaluate the effects of different sham feeding methods on postoperative ileus after low anterior resection and diverting ileostomy for rectal cancer.Methods: 72 patients who underwent low anterior resection with a diverting ileostomy were randomized into 4 groups as: control (n = 16), ice cream (n = 18), gum (n = 17) and nicotine gum (n = 17). Four patients were excluded due to a lack of data. Patients’ demographics, constipation scores, neoadjuvant treatment, amount of perioperative bleeding, fluid administration, drain placement, time of intestinal movement, ileostomy discharge, and return of appetite were compared.Results: Patients’ demographics, constipation scores, neoadjuvant treatment existence, amount of perioperative bleeding, fluid administration, drain placement were similar between groups (p > 0,05). The first sense of intestinal movement was shorter in the nicotine group than control and gum groups (p=0,004 and 0,046, respectively). The average time to first ileostomy discharge and first appetite was shortest in the nicotine gum group. Diverting ileostomy discharge time was significantly shorter in the nicotine gum group than the control group (p=0,011). Return of appetite time was shorter in the nicotine gum group when compared to the gum group (p=0.036).Conclusions: Nicotine gum chewing is an effective method to resolve postoperative ileus after rectal surgery. Other methods such as ice-cream feeding and gum chewing showed no benefit compared to control.

Effect of oral or intragastric delivery of the bitter tastant quinine on food intake and appetite sensations: a randomised crossover trial

Stimulation of gastrointestinal taste receptors affects eating behaviour. Intraduodenal infusion of tastants leads to increased satiation and reduced food intake, whereas intraileal infusion of tastants does not affect eating behaviour. Currently, it is unknown whether oral- or intragastric administration of tastants induces a larger effect on eating behaviour. This study investigated the effects of oral- and/or intragastric administration of quinine on food intake, appetite sensations and heart rate variability (HRV). In a blinded randomised crossover trial, thirty-two healthy volunteers participated in four interventions with a 1-week washout: oral placebo and intragastric placebo (OPGP), oral quinine and intragastric placebo (OQGP), oral placebo and intragastric quinine (OPGQ) and oral quinine and intragastric quinine (OQGQ). On test days, 150 min after a standardised breakfast, subjects ingested a capsule containing quinine or placebo and were sham-fed a mixture of quinine or placebo orally. At 50 min after intervention, subjects received an ad libitum meal to measure food intake. Visual analogue scales for appetite sensations were collected, and HRV measurements were performed at regular intervals. Oral and/or intragastric delivery of the bitter tastant quinine did not affect food intake (OPGP: 3273·6 (sem 131·8) kJ, OQGP: 3072·7 (sem 132·2) kJ, OPGQ: 3289·0 (sem 132·6) kJ and OQGQ: 3204·1 (sem 133·1) kJ, P = 0·069). Desire to eat and hunger decreased after OQGP and OPGQ compared with OPGP (P < 0·001 and P < 0·05, respectively), whereas satiation, fullness and HRV did not differ between interventions. In conclusion, sole oral sham feeding with and sole intragastric delivery of quinine decreased desire to eat and hunger, without affecting food intake, satiation, fullness or HRV.

The Impact of Sham Feeding with Chewing Gum on Postoperative Ileus Following Colorectal Surgery: a Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials

Background Chewing gum as a form of sham feeding is an inexpensive and well-tolerated means of promoting gastrointestinal motility following major abdominal surgery. Although recognised by the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society as one of the multimodal approaches to expedite recovery after surgery, strong evidence to support its use in routine postoperative practice is lacking. Methodology A comprehensive literature review of all randomised controlled trials (RCTs) was performed in the Medline and Embase databases between 2000 and 2019. Studies were selected to compare the use of chewing gum versus standard care in the management of postoperative ileus (POI) in adults undergoing colorectal surgery. The primary outcome assessed was the incidence of POI. Secondary outcomes included time to passage of flatus, time to defecation, total length of hospital stay and mortality. Results Sixteen RCTs were included in the systematic review, of which ten (970 patients) were included in the meta-analysis. The incidence of POI was significantly reduced in patients utilising chewing gum compared to those having standard care (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.39, 0.79, p = 0.0009). These patients also had a significant reduction in time to passage of flatus (WMD − 0.31, 95% CI − 0.36, − 0.26, p < 0.00001) and time to defecation (WMD − 0.47, 95% CI − 0.60, − 0.34, p < 0.00001), without significant differences in the total length of hospital stay or mortality. Conclusion The use of chewing gum after colorectal surgery is a safe and effective intervention in reducing the incidence of POI and merits routine use alongside other ERAS pathways in the postoperative setting.

DOZ047.64: Sham feeding promotes oral feeding success in long-gap esophageal atresia, even with traction sutures in situ

Introduction Sham feeding (SF) and staged repair using traction suture techniques (TST) were both introduced to the management of long-gap esophageal atresia (LGOA) at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne (RCH) in January 2012. Previous studies report SF to reduce time to full oral feeding (FOF) postdefinitive repair. In our practice, SF is individually tailored, supervised, and involves offering 2–4 feeds daily. This single-center experience describes SF in newborns with LGOA, including those with staged TST prior to definitive repair, and the impact of SF on time to FOF. Methods Patients admitted 2000–2018 with LGOA were identified from the Nate Myers Oesophageal Atresia Database, RCH. Those with incomplete data or complications preventing oral feeds were excluded. Patients were grouped into two epochs: Group 1 (2000–2011, no SF, no TST) and Group 2 (2012–2018, all offered SF, some TST). Demographics and time to FOF were compared between groups. Parametric data (mean, SD) were analyzed with two sample t-test, and nonparametric data (median, IQR) with Mann–Whitney test; P < 0.05 significant. Ethics approval was obtained (HREC#QA/51247/RCHM-2019). Results Of 37 LGOA patients, six met exclusion criteria leaving 31 for analysis; Group 1, n = 13; Group 2, n = 18. Groups did not differ in gestation (P = 0.63), birth weight (P = 0.91) or time to definitive repair (P = 0.85). In Group 2, 12/18 had successful SF, including 9 who underwent TST. Three additional patients with TST were unsuccessful with SF. Compared with Group 1, FOF was significantly reduced in those 12 patients with successful SF (median FOF 730 days, IQR 125–1100 vs. median FOF 75 days IQR 56–227; P = 0.03). Small sample size precluded meaningful subgroup analyses of successful versus unsuccessful SF patients. Importantly, no patient aspirated during SF, though one developed oral aversion post-TST and one ceased SF at parental request. Conclusions In LGOA, successful SF improves time to FOF postdefinitive repair, and was not associated with aspiration in our experience. Further, we report success with SF in patients undergoing staged repair with TST, including following traction suture placement. To our knowledge, this is the first report of SF in LGOA patients during the period between traction suture placement and definitive repair.