Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders in Critically Ill

Gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders are a common problem in the intensive care unit (ICU) and are associated with increased morbidity, complications like feeding intolerance, malnutrition, bacterial translocation, sepsis, multiple organ failure, prolonged hospital stay and increased risk of mortality. Several risk factors in intensive care setting that contribute to GI dysmotility include mechanical ventilation, vasopressor support, use of opioids, etc. Degree of GI motility dysfunction correlates with severity of critical illness. So, it is important to identify the dysfunction early so that targeted therapy could be prescribed to prevent worsening of clinical outcomes.