Table 2.
Primary and secondary outcomes according to the modified intention-to-treat analysis.
| Intermittent Feeding (n = 49) |
Continuous Feeding (n = 50) |
Relative Risk (95% CI) |
p-Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary outcome | ||||
| ≥80% of the target requirement, achievement days/total days of feeding (%) | 119/227 (52.4) | 147/226 (65.0) | 1.24 (1.06–1.45) | 0.008 |
| Secondary outcomes | ||||
| ICU mortality, n (%) | 24 (49.0) | 16 (32.0) | 0.65 (0.40–1.07) | 0.129 |
| Death within 28 days, n (%) | 26 (53.1) | 21 (42.0) | 0.79 (0.52–1.20) | 0.368 |
| Median length of hospital stay (IQR), days | ||||
| In-hospital survivors | 25 (17–33) | 22 (11–38) | 0.763 | |
| In-hospital nonsurvivors | 9 (4–15) | 10 (6–19) | 0.603 | |
| Median length of ICU stay (IQR), days | ||||
| ICU survivors | 8 (5–11) | 6 (3–11) | 0.443 | |
| ICU nonsurvivors | 6 (3–10) | 7 (4–12) | 0.782 | |
| Gastrointestinal intolerance, n (%) | ||||
| Diarrhea | 22 (44.9) | 22 (44.0) | 0.98 (0.63–1.52) | >0.999 |
| Constipation | 22 (44.9) | 28 (56.0) | 1.25 (0.84–1.85) | 0.366 |
| Vomiting or regurgitation | 8 (16.3) | 7 (14.0) | 0.86 (0.34–2.18) | 0.966 |
| Abdominal pain or distension | 8 (16.3) | 3 (6.0) | 0.37 (0.10–1.30) | 0.189 |
| Aspiration | 0 (0) | 2 (4.0) | 4.90 (0.24–99.57) | 0.484 |
| Received prokinetic drugs | 12 (24.5) | 19 (38.0) | 1.55 (0.85–2.84) | 0.218 |
| Days without mechanical ventilation a | 0 (0–20) | 11 (0–20) | 0.142 | |
| Days without dialysis a | 11 (0–28) | 24 (7–28) | 0.077 | |
| Days without vasopressor support a | 11 (0–24) | 19 (4–26) | 0.062 |
a The number of days alive and free from mechanical ventilation, dialysis, and vasopressor support were calculated for the first 28 study days. CI = confidence interval; ICU = intensive care unit; IQR = interquartile range.