Table 2. Comparison of the frequency of gastrointestinal feeding intolerance of the patients between the three studied groups in three intervention days .
| Variables | Day | Time |
Bolus feeding
(n = 20) |
Intermittent feeding
(n = 20) |
Control
(n = 20) |
Test results | p -value |
| Presence of diarrhea | First | 0 | 19 (34.5) | 20 (36.4) | 16 (29.1) | Value = 5.151† | 0.115 |
| 1 | 1 (25.0) | 0 (0) | 3 (75.0) | ||||
| 2 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (100) | ||||
| Second | 0 | 16 (34.5) | 18 (35.30) | 17 (33.3) | Value = 4.167† | 0.925 | |
| 1 | 2 (28.6) | 2 (28.60) | 3 (42.9) | ||||
| 2 | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| 3 | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| Third | 0 | 17 (34.0) | 18 (36.0) | 15 (30.0) | Value = 3.841† | 0.474 | |
| 1 | 2 (22.2) | 2 (22.2) | 5 (55.6) | ||||
| 2 | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| Presence of constipation | First | 0 | 19 (32.2) | 20 (33.9) | 20 (33.9) | Value = 1.851† | 1.000 |
| 2 | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| Second | 0 | 19 (32.8) | 20 (34.50) | 19 (32.8) | Value = 3.669† | 1.000 | |
| 1 | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| 2 | 0 (100) | 0 (0) | 1 (100) | ||||
| Third | 0 | 19 (32.2) | 20 (33.9) | 20 (33.9) | Value = 1.851† | 1.000 | |
| 1 | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| Presence of vomiting | First | 0 | 19 (32.8) | 19 (32.8) | 20 (34.5) | Value = 5.276† | 1.000 |
| 1 | 1 (50.0) | 1 (50.0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| Second | 0 | 20 (33.9) | 19 (32.2) | 20 (33.9) | Value = 1.851† | 1.000 | |
| 1 | 0 (0) | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | ||||
| Third | 0 | 19 (32.2) | 20 (33.9) | 20 (33.9) | Value = 1.851† | 1.000 | |
| 1 | 1 (100) | 0 (32.2) | 0 (0) | ||||
| Presence of abdominal distention | First | 0 | 16 (30.2) | 19 (35.8) | 18 (34.0) | Value = 6.761† | 0.163 |
| 1 | 0 (0) | 1 (50.0) | 1 (50.2) | ||||
| 2 | 3 (100) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| 3 | 1 (50) | 0 (0) | 1 (50.0) | ||||
| Second | 0 | 17 (32.7) | 18 (34.6) | 17 (32.7) | Value = 2.443† | 0.848 | |
| 1 | 1 (33.3) | 0 (0) | 2 (66.7) | ||||
| 2 | 2 (40.0) | 2 (40.0) | 1 (20.0) | ||||
| Third | 0 | 19 (33.3) | 19 (33.3) | 19 (33.3) | Value = 3.060† | 1.000 | |
| 1 | 0 (0) | 1 (50.0) | 1 (50.0) | ||||
| 3 | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| Abnormal gastric residual volume* | First | 0 | 17 (31.5) | 20 (37.0) | 17 (31.5) | Value = 4.921† | 0.266 |
| 1 | 2 (40.0) | 0 (0) | 3 (60.0) | ||||
| 2 | 1 (100) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | ||||
| Second | 0 | 19 (35.8) | 19 (35.8) | 15 (28.3) |
Value = 4.239†† df = 2 |
0.192 | |
| 1 | 1 (14.3) | 1 (14.3) | 5 (71.4) | ||||
| Third | 0 | 19 (33.9) | 19 (33.9) | 19 (33.9) | Value = 2.258† | 1.000 | |
| 1 | 1 (33.3) | 1 (33.3) | 1 (33.3) | ||||
| 3 | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
All values are expressed as number (percent)
* More than half of the previous aspirated feed or 200 cc
† Fisher Exact test
†† Chi-square test