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Gastric Residual VolumeNCT07018414

Abdominal Massage for Gastric Residual Volume in Surgical Patients

A study testing Abdominal Massage in people with Gastric Residual Volume and Abdominal Distension, run by Marmara University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effect of abdominal massage on gastric residual volume (GRV) and abdominal distension in surgical intensive care patients receiving enteral nutrition. The intervention group received 20-minute abdominal massage sessions twice daily for 3 consecutive days. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Any age
What is being tested?
Abdominal Massage
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
84 participants
Where
1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
Study dates
5 Apr 2024to 5 Apr 2025
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages Any age
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child, Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Age ≥ 18 years
  • Receiving enteral nutrition via nasogastric tube
  • No prior abdominal surgery
  • No invasive devices (e.g., drains, catheters) in the abdominal area

Who cannot join

  • Receiving enteral nutrition via PEG or PEJ
  • Receiving only parenteral nutrition
  • History of abdominal surgery

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

Turkey (Türkiye)1 site
  • Seyrantepe Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital, Surgical Intensive Care Units

    Istanbul, İ̇stanbul, 34230

Other trials in Turkey (Türkiye)

About this study

Official title: The Effect of Abdominal Massage on Gastric Residual Volume and Abdominal Distension in Surgical Intensive Care Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effect of abdominal massage on gastric residual volume (GRV) and abdominal distension in surgical intensive care patients receiving enteral nutrition. The intervention group received 20-minute abdominal massage sessions twice daily for 3 consecutive days. Outcomes included changes in GRV, abdominal circumference, feeding volume, and gastrointestinal tolerance parameters.

Read the detailed description

Gastric residual volume (GRV) monitoring is commonly used in critically ill patients receiving enteral nutrition to assess gastrointestinal dysfunction, although current guidelines present conflicting recommendations regarding its necessity. Abdominal distension is a frequent complication during enteral feeding in surgical ICU patients. Non-pharmacological interventions such as abdominal massage have shown promise in improving gastrointestinal motility and enteral tolerance.

This study included 84 surgical ICU patients who met the inclusion criteria and were randomly assigned to intervention (n=42) and control (n=42) groups. The intervention group received abdominal massage twice daily for 20 minutes over three days. Data were collected using standardized forms and analyzed with appropriate statistical tests including independent samples t-test, Mann-Whitney U, repeated measures ANOVA, and chi-square tests. The findings suggest that abdominal massage may help stabilize GRV levels, reduce abdominal circumference, and increase nutritional intake without increasing complications.

Being tested
Abdominal Massage
Keywords
Enteral Nutrition, Gastric Emptying, Abdominal Distension, Intensive Care Units, Surgical, Postoperative Care, Gastrointestinal Motility Disorders, Critical Illness, Massage Therapy
Medical subject headings
Critical Illness

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Abdominal MassageBehavioural

    Non-pharmacological intervention involving manual massage of the abdomen to support gastric motility and reduce gastric residual volume and abdominal distension in enterally fed surgical ICU patients.

Study groups in NCT07018414
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Abdominal Massage GroupExperimentalPatients in this group received abdominal massage for 20 minutes, twice daily, for three consecutive days after the initiation of enteral nutrition.
Receives: Behavioral: Abdominal Massage
Control GroupNo interventionPatients in this group received standard postoperative care without abdominal massage.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Amount of gastric residual volume (mL)

    Starting from the first day of enteral nutrition, gastric residual volume (mL) will be recorded at regular intervals every day for 3 days. The amount of GRV changing from the first day to the 3rd day will be measured and analysed.

    Measured: Day 3

  2. Change in abdominal circumference

    Abdominal circumference will be measured on the first day of enteral feeding and abdominal circumference will be measured every day at the same time for 3 days. The change in abdominal circumference (cm) from baseline to Day 3 will be recorded.

    Measured: Day 3

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Amount of enteral feeding (mL/day)

    The total amount of nutritional product taken on the first day of enteral nutrition will be recorded for 3 days. The amount taken from the beginning to the 3rd day will be recorded in ml/day.

    Measured: Day 3

  2. Assessment of abdominal distension

    On the first day of enteral nutrition, abdominal circumference will be measured and abdominal distension will be evaluated by auscultating bowel sounds and daily X-rays. The presence or absence of abdominal distension from the beginning to the 3rd day will be recorded.

    Measured: Day 3

  3. Interruption of enteral nutrition

    From the first day of starting enteral nutrition, the reasons for which continuous nutrition is interrupted (for example, going to another unit for radiological examination or re-operation for revision purposes, etc.) will be monitored and recorded for 3 days.

    Measured: Day 3

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted12 Jun 2025
  2. Study start5 Apr 2024
  3. Primary completion5 Apr 2025
  4. Study completion5 Apr 2025

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
This study utilized a parallel assignment model, in which participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (receiving abdominal massage) or the control group (receiving standard care) in a 1:1 ratio. Each participant received only one type of intervention throughout the study period. The intervention was applied twice daily for 20 minutes over three consecutive days.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
84 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07018414
Sponsor's protocol ID
ABMGRVSICU
Status last verified
Jun 2025
First submitted
23 May 2025
Last updated
12 Jun 2025
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: This study does not plan to share individual participant data due to privacy concerns and institutional policy.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Abdominal Massage in people with Gastric Residual Volume and Abdominal Distension, run by Marmara University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 4 inclusion and 3 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 12 Jun 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Amount of gastric residual volume (mL) (time frame: Day 3). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 12 Jun 2025.

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