Impact of specific enteral regimen on improvements of nutritional status and gastrointestinal problems among traumatized intensive care patients

Metabolic alteration following severe trauma cause the body to lose its ability to adopt to starvation. Evidence of that early nutritional support is beneficial. The primary goal of nutritional support for trauma patients is to meet increased energy and protein demands and provide adequate defenses against injury. Hence the effect of using specific balanced enteral nutritional formula on improvement of nutritional status and counteraction of gastrointestinal problem among traumatized patients. The study sample consists of 60 adult male and female patients. They were randomly assigned into either study or control group. Each 30 subject was matched according to age and sex. Subjects of the study group received specific enteral formula in addition to the routine hospital care, while subjects of the control group ones received only routine enteral nutritional feeding in the unit. Two tools were developed by the researcher, the first tool includes demographic information, nutritional assessment data including anthropometric measurements and possible blood tests important in evaluating the nutritional status of the patients. The second tool consists of 4items which reflect gastrointestinal problems as diarrhea, vomiting, constipations, and distention. The study reveal that subjects who received specific enteral, nutritional formula had less GIT problems and there were no statistical significant differences between the two studied groups for almost all study variables except in total protein and calcium. These results generate attention and motivation for further investigation about this topic

effect of patients positioning on oxygen satration in the acute phase of ischemic stroke

Body position is known to influence respiratory function in normal subjects and those with respiratory pathology. Its effect on respiratory function after stroke has received little attention. It's generally thought that stroke morbidity is increased by inappropriate position during early recovery phase. So the present study was designed to identify changes in arterial oxygen saturation [SaO[2]] associated with different four positions of the patient in order to detect proper position which maintain the optimum level of SaO[2]. Quasiexperiment research design was applied in this study .This study was conducted in stroke intensive care unit of Neurological Department of Assuit University Hospitals. The subjects of this study consist of 60 patients with acute ischemic stroke within 48 hours following mild to moderate and sever stroke. Three tools were included in the study, tool of sociodemographic data, tool of the positions and tool of the Scandinavian stroke scale. The result of the present study revealed that there was statistical significant difference between SaO[2] and blood pressure of the patients before and after the positions. It was found also that total mean of SaO[2] during right side, supine and semi-setting position was nearly equal and there was statistical significant difference between left position and 3 other positions. So the study recommended the importance of changing patient's positions which improve ventilation and blood pressure. The importance of the use of positions tested [Rt.side, supine and semi-setting position] in the clinical practice to maintain SaO[2] in patients of ischemic stroke