Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07018414

Abdominal Massage for Gastric Residual Volume in Surgical Patients

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effect of abdominal massage on gastric residual volume (GRV) and abdominal distension in surgical intensive care patients receiving enteral nutrition. The intervention group received 20-minute abdominal massage sessions twice daily for 3 consecutive days. Outcomes included changes in GRV, abdominal circumference, feeding volume, and gastrointestinal tolerance parameters.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Gastric Residual Volume Abdominal Distension Critical Illness Disease Attributes Enteral Nutrition Massage Therapy Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Seyrantepe Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Surgical Intensive Care Units

Istanbul, İ̇stanbul, 34230, Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Gastric residual volume (GRV) monitoring is commonly used in critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition to assess gastrointestinal dysfunction, although current guidelines present conflicting recommendations regarding its necessity. Abdominal distension is a frequent complication during enteral feeding in surgical ICU patients. Non-pharmacological interventions such as abdominal massage have shown promise in improving gastrointestinal motility and enteral tolerance.

This study included 84 surgical ICU patients who met the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to intervention (n=42) and control (n=42) groups. The intervention group received abdominal massage twice daily for 20 minutes over three days. Data were collected using standardized forms and analyzed with appropriate statistical tests including independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U, repeated measures ANOVA, and chi-square tests. The findings suggest that abdominal massage may help stabilize GRV levels, reduce abdominal circumference, and increase nutritional intake without increasing complications.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Receiving enteral nutrition via nasogastric tube
  • No prior abdominal surgery
  • No invasive devices (e.g., drains, catheters) in the abdominal area

Exclusion criteria

  • Receiving enteral nutrition via PEG or PEJ
  • Receiving only parenteral nutrition
  • History of abdominal surgery

Treatment and study plan

Abdominal Massage

Behavioral

Non-pharmacological intervention involving manual massage of the abdomen to support gastric motility and reduce gastric residual volume and abdominal distension in enterally fed surgical ICU patients.

Primary outcomes

  1. Amount of gastric residual volume (mL)

    Time frame: Day 3

    Starting from the first day of enteral nutrition, gastric residual volume (mL) will be recorded at regular intervals every day for 3 days. The amount of GRV changing from the first day to the 3rd day will be measured and analysed.

  2. Change in abdominal circumference

    Time frame: Day 3

    Abdominal circumference will be measured on the first day of enteral feeding and abdominal circumference will be measured every day at the same time for 3 days. The change in abdominal circumference (cm) from baseline to Day 3 will be recorded.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Amount of enteral feeding (mL/day)

    Time frame: Day 3

    The total amount of nutritional product taken on the first day of enteral nutrition will be recorded for 3 days. The amount taken from the beginning to the 3rd day will be recorded in ml/day.

  2. Assessment of abdominal distension

    Time frame: Day 3

    On the first day of enteral nutrition, abdominal circumference will be measured and abdominal distension will be evaluated by auscultating bowel sounds and daily X-rays. The presence or absence of abdominal distension from the beginning to the 3rd day will be recorded.

  3. Interruption of enteral nutrition

    Time frame: Day 3

    From the first day of starting enteral nutrition, the reasons for which continuous nutrition is interrupted (for example, going to another unit for radiological examination or re-operation for revision purposes, etc.) will be monitored and recorded for 3 days.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Marmara University

Other

Registry information

Official study title

The Effect of Abdominal Massage on Gastric Residual Volume and Abdominal Distension in Surgical Intensive Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Important dates

Study start
2024
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Jun 12, 2025
Registry last updated
Jun 12, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.