Table 1.

Description of Usual Care and Aspiration Risk Reduction Protocol Groups

Variable	Usual Care (n = 329)	ARRP Group (n = 145)
Age (in years)	52.5 ± 18.1	48.8 ± 17.8*
Gender
Female	42.9%	35.2%
Male	57.1%	64.8%
APACHE II	22.7 ± 6.4	19.5 ± 5.7**
Service
Neuromedicine/Neurosurgery	30.4%	33.2%
Trauma/Surgery	39.8%	44.8%
General Medicine/Pulmonary Medicine	29.8%	22.1%
Level of consciousness (Mean Glasgow Coma Scale Score)	7.0 ± 2.8	6.9 ± 2.2
Level of sedation (Mean Vancouver Interaction & Calmness Score)	35.7 ± 4.1	36.5 ± 4.1*
Feeding site
Stomach throughout study	47.7%	27.6%**
Small bowel throughout study	40.7%	69.7%
Switch from stomach to small bowel	4.0%	0.0%
Switch from small bowel to stomach	7.6%	2.8%
Type of device during gastric feedings
10 Fr polyurethane tube	47.1%	75.0%**
14–18 Fr polyvinyl chloride tube	52.9%	25.0%
Type of device during small bowel feedings
10 Fr polyurethane tube	100%	100%
One or more gastric residual volumes ≥ 250 ml in gastric-fed patients	15.9%	7.5%
Vomited at least once	5.8%	5.5%
Mean backrest elevation (degrees)	23.7 ± 12.4	37.8 ± 9.1**
Mean percent backrest elevation ≥ 30 degrees	37.7%	88.4%**
Died during hospitalization	19%	14%

Note. ARRP = Aspiration Risk Reduction Protocol Group; APACHE II = Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II

^*p = < .05;

^**p = < .001