Cold vs Warm Enteral Feeding and Gastric Emptying in Adult ICU Patients

In critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition in the intensive care unit, the functional capacity of the gastrointestinal system can be significantly influenced by the mode of nutritional support. The temperature of enteral feeding may exert potential effects on gastric emptying, intestinal motility, and nutrient absorption. However, the existing literature on the impact of feeding temperature is limited, and randomized or cross-over controlled studies directly comparing warm and cold enteral feeding are scarce. This study aims to systematically evaluate the effects of enteral feeding temperature on feeding tolerance (vomiting and aspiration), gastric emptying rate (gastric residual volume), and the incidence of diarrhea, thereby providing evidence to inform clinical practice.

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Key information

Conditions

Gastric Emptying Enteral Nutrition (Food for Special Medical Purposes)

Age range

18 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Research and Education Hospital

Bursa, Turkey (Türkiye)

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

Patients aged 18 years or older
Expected length of stay in the intensive care unit of at least 96 hours
Patients receiving enteral nutrition via a nasogastric tube
Absence of ileus or active gastrointestinal bleeding

Exclusion criteria

Patients younger than 18 years of age
Use of high-dose opioids known to affect gastrointestinal motility
Patients receiving parenteral nutrition
Known gastrointestinal diseases or a history of gastrointestinal surgery
Patients with acute intracranial events will not be included in the study

Treatment and study plan

Enteral Nutrition

Dietary Supplement

Cold enteral feeding (24-25 degree), warm enteral feeding (36-37 degree)

Primary outcomes

Gastric volume measured by ultrasonography at 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 360, and 480 minutes after administration of cold and warm enteral feeding.

Time frame: Baseline (0 minutes) and up to 480 minutes after enteral feeding

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Bursa Yuksek Ihtisas Training and Research Hospital

Other Gov

Registry information

Official study title

Effect of Cold and Warm Enteral Feeding on Gastric Emptying in Adult Intensive Care Patients: A Cross-Over Study

Important dates

Study start: 2025
Primary completion: 2026
Study completion: 2026
First posted: Feb 17, 2026
Registry last updated: Feb 18, 2026

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.

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

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