Gastrointestinal Failure in Intensive Care Patients

Present dissertation is focused on evaluation of§gastrointestinal §function in intensive care patients. The definitions,§incidence and §impact of gastrointestinal failure are addressed.§Development of GI §symptoms is associated with increased mortality and§prolonged §ICU stay. The most remarkable raise in risk of death§may be §observed in §elective cardiosurgical patients. Similar to clinical§symptoms, the §incidence of intra-abdominal hypertension (IAH) is§high in mixed §ICU population. Monitoring the only the presumable§risk population §may result in missing part of the actual IAH§patients. The patients §with IAH have higher ICU- and 90-day mortality.§Secondary IAH §has worse outcome than primary IAH.§The scoring system for GIF based on combined§evaluation of §successfulness of enteral feeding and presence of§intra-abdominal §hypertension is developed. Proposed GIF score has§high prognostic §value in prediction of ICU mortality in single centre§prospective §study. Gastrointestinal failure assessed with GIF§score is highly §important among other organ failures in ICU.