Effects of abdominal massage on gastrointestinal function in ICU patients: a meta-analysis

Objective: To evaluate the effects of abdominal massage on gastrointestinal function in the intensive care unit(ICU) patients.Methods: Randomized controlled trials about the effects of abdominal massage on gastrointestinal function in ICU patients were included from multiple electronic databases: PubMed, Web of Science, the Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, China Academic Journals Full-Text Database(CNKI), Wanfang Database, and CQVIP, until November 2018. Studies were selected according to inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracting data and assessing. Data were analyzed by RevMan 5.3.Results: Nine studies with 720 patients were included. The results of meta-analysis in the intervention group were as follows: abdomen circumference: mean difference(MD)=-4.22, 95% confidence interval(CI)=(-6.20,-2.24), P<0.00001;abdominal distension: MD=0.34, 95% CI=(0.22, 0.52), P<0.00001;gastric residual: MD=-41.51, 95% CI=(-55.86,-29.15), P=0.001;gastric retention: MD=-0.23, 95% CI(-0.30,-0.15), P<0.00001;and vomiting: MD=0.12, 95% CI=(0.04, 0.35), P=0.0001.Conclusions: Abdominal massage is effective in reducing abdominal distension, gastric residual, and vomiting. When the intervention period was <7 days, abdominal massage could not reduce the abdominal circumference in ICU patients, and when the intervention period was equal to 7 days, abdominal massage could reduce the abdominal circumference in ICU patients.

Isolated pancreatic injury caused by abdominal massage:A case report

BACKGROUND Regular abdominal massage can be used to treat digestive symptoms such as bloating and constipation and is reported to reduce abdominal discomfort,improve digestive function,and increase the quality of life,without serious adverse effects.Isolated pancreatic injury is rare,and most often occurs during severe trauma such as steering wheel impact injury.To our knowledge,pancreatic injury caused by massage has not yet been reported in the literature.CASE SUMMARY A 57-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for acute abdominal pain and transient syncope.On examination,she had low hemoglobin concentration and a high white blood cell count and neutrophil percentage.Plain computed tomography of the abdomen revealed a substantial hemorrhage in the abdominal cavity.A large amount of exudate in the pancreatic area was considered a hematoma.Preoperative diagnosis was difficult.Her hemoglobin and blood pressure did not rise even after blood.We suspected progressive bleeding in the abdominal cavity and urgently performed exploratory laparotomy.During the operation,the pancreas was confirmed to be ruptured;hence,spleen-preserving pancreatic body and tail resection were performed.A pancreatic fistula was found on the 15th d after the operation,and the patient was discharged with a drainage tube on the 24th d after active treatment.Subsequently,it was discovered that the patient had undergone a vigorous abdominal massage the day before the abdominal pain began.To our knowledge,this is the first report of isolated pancreatic injury and massive abdominal hemorrhage caused by abdominal massage.CONCLUSION Our findings indicate that any action that increases intra-abdominal pressure may cause internal organ damage.We also review similar cases reported in the literature.

Observation on the clinical effect of abdominal massage combined with fomentation in the treatment of constipation-predominant irritable bowel syndrome

Objective:To investigate the clinical effect of abdominal massage combined with fomentation of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of constipation-predominantirritable bowel syndrome.Methods:A total of 90 patients with irritable bowel syndrome were selected and randomly divided into a control group and an observation group,with 45 cases in each group.The control group received abdominal massage therapy,and the observation group received abdominal massage combined with traditional Chinese medicine fomentation.The clinical efficacy of the two groups of patients on constipation-predominantirritable bowel syndrome was compared.Results:The total effective rate of the observation group in the treatment of constipation-predominantirritable bowel syndrome was 95.6%(43/45),which was higher than the control group by 80%(36/45),and the difference was statistically significant(P<0.05).Conclusion:Abdominal massage combined with fomentation of traditional Chinese medicine is effective in treating constipation-predominantirritable bowel syndrome.Its environmental protection,green,non-invasive treatment advantages are convenient for clinical promotion and application.