Effect of Caffeine on Ileus After Laparotomy

Abstract

Ileus has been one of the unavoidable multifactorial outcomes of surgeries and may be defined as a delay in the return of physiological activity of the intestinal electromotor after a major surgery. The beneficial effect of caffeine on improving patients' clinical condition has been documented in several studies. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the effect of caffeine in reducing the amount of ileus after surgery. Methods In a clinical trial study, after selecting participants patients according to the study criteria, they will be admitted to the surgical department and prepared for surgery. Firstly, all relevant medical tests were performed. Then, participants were assigned to control or intervention groups. After the surgeries, the time of the first bowel movement, the time of the patient's first bowel movement, the time of the patient's first walk, the time of the start of the diet and the length of hospital stay with the presence or absence of secondary complications were recorded. All data were analyzed using SPSS statistical software. Results In both groups, the mean age and duration of surgery were similar. All patients in the caffeine experimental group tolerated it immediately after full postoperative vigilance. Comparison of two groups (experience and control) in terms of time interval between surgery to intestinal dilation (14.7 hours versus 16.6 hours), first defecation (28.1 hours vs. 32.2 hours) and the start of the diet (19.3 hours versus 16.5 hours), the patient's first movement (20.1 hours versus 17.5 hours) and the length of hospital stay showed a statistically significant difference. The first passage of gas through the intestine and the duration of intestinal distension after surgery were different in the two groups, but there was no significant difference.