Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Completed

NCT Number: NCT07650461

Enhanced Recovery Versus Standard Care After Emergency Abdominal Surgery in Patients Requiring Emergency Laparotomy

This study aims to compare an Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocol with conventional postoperative care in adults undergoing emergency laparotomy for intestinal obstruction or intestinal perforation.

The main question this study aims to answer is:

• Does the ERAS protocol reduce surgical site infections compared with conventional care after emergency laparotomy?

Researchers will also compare other recovery outcomes between the two groups, including length of hospital stay, occurrence of paralytic ileus (temporary loss of bowel function), time to first bowel movement, and time to start taking fluids by mouth after surgery.

A total of 102 participants will be enrolled and randomly assigned to one of two groups. One group will receive postoperative care according to the ERAS protocol, while the other group will receive conventional postoperative care. All participants will undergo emergency laparotomy using standard surgical and anesthetic techniques.

Participants will:

* Undergo emergency laparotomy for intestinal obstruction or intestinal perforation. * Receive either ERAS-based postoperative care or conventional postoperative care. * Be monitored during their hospital stay for recovery and postoperative complications. * Be assessed for bowel function recovery, ability to tolerate oral fluids, and length of hospital stay. * Be followed for 30 days after surgery to determine whether a surgical site infection develops.

The researchers hypothesize that patients managed with the ERAS protocol will have a lower frequency of surgical site infections and improved postoperative recovery compared with those receiving conventional care.

Completed

Looking for future studies?

Notify Me

Key information

Conditions

Emergency Laparotomy Digestive System Diseases Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Protocol Gastrointestinal Diseases Infections Intestinal Diseases Intestinal Obstruction Intestinal Perforation Pathologic Processes Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Postoperative Complications Postoperative Recovery Surgical Site Infection (SSI) Surgical Wound Infection Wound Infection

Age range

18 year–65 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Primary location

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital Muzaffargarh

Muzaffargarh, Punjab Province, 34200, Pakistan

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

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

Inclusion criteria

  • acute intestinal obstruction or intestinal perforation
  • planned for emergency laparotomy

Exclusion criteria

  • Pregnant women
  • Patients on chronic steroids
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Malignant ulcers confirmed by histopathological examination
  • laparoscopic surgeries
  • Acute abdominal trauma
  • Patients who require postoperative intensive care unit (ICU) care

Treatment and study plan

Enhanced recovery after surgery

Procedure

A standardized multimodal perioperative care pathway applied to patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. The protocol includes pre-defined components for preoperative optimization, intraoperative management, and postoperative care. Postoperative elements include early mobilization, early initiation of oral fluids and diet, optimized multimodal analgesia, early removal of tubes/drains when appropriate, and structured fluid management.

Conventional Postoperative Care

Procedure

Standard postoperative management routinely practiced in the surgical unit for patients undergoing emergency laparotomy. Care includes traditional postoperative monitoring, routine analgesia, delayed initiation of oral intake, standard mobilization practices, and conventional fluid and supportive management.

Primary outcomes

  1. Surgical Site Infection

    Time frame: From enrollment within 30 days postoperatively

    Frequency of surgical site infection (superficial and deep) occurring within 30 days after emergency laparotomy will be assessed and compared between the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) group and the conventional care group. Surgical site infection will be defined and classified according to standard surgical infection criteria as specified in the study protocol

Other outcomes

  1. Hospital Stay

    Time frame: From surgery to discharge within 30 days

    Length of hospital stay will be measured in days from the day of surgery until final disposition (discharge or death).

  2. Paralytic Ileus

    Time frame: From surgery till hospital stay within 30 days postoperatively

    Incidence of postoperative paralytic ileus defined as presence of abdominal distension with absence of bowel sounds on clinical examination (auscultation for at least one minute).

  3. Time to First Stool

    Time frame: From surgery till hospital stay until discharge within 30 days postoperatively

    Time (in days) from surgery to passage of first postoperative stool, indicating return of bowel function.

  4. Time to First Fluid Diet

    Time frame: Postoperatively during hospital stay till discharge within 30 days postoperatively

    Time (in days) from surgery to initiation and tolerance of first oral fluid intake postoperatively.

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Recep Tayyip Erdogan Hospital Pakistan - Muzaffargarh

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Comparison of Enhanced Recovery Protocol After Surgery Versus Conventional Care in Emergency Laparotomy

Important dates

Study start
2025
Primary completion
2025
Study completion
2025
First posted
Jun 16, 2026
Registry last updated
Jun 16, 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.

Related clinical trials

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