The effects of combined gum-chewing and parenteral metoclopramide on the duration of postoperative ileus after abdominal surgery

Background: Postoperative ileus remains the most common cause of prolonged hospital stay after abdominal surgery. Various agents have been tested in the treatment of postoperative ileus but no agent alone has achieved effectiveness as postoperative ileus is of multifactorial aetiology. Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the effects of combined use of gum-chewing and parenteral metoclopramide on the duration of postoperative ileus after abdominal surgery. Materials and Methods: This was a randomised controlled study of patients aged 16-65 years who underwent elective abdominal surgeries. Patients were randomised into a gum-metoclopramide (GM) group, a gum-only (G) group, a metoclopramide-only (M) group and a control (C) group. Patients in the GM group chewed gum and received intravenous metoclopramide, each 8 hourly. In G group, patients chewed only gum, whereas those in M group received only 10mg of intravenous metoclopramide, 8 hourly. To C group, 10 mL of intravenous sterile water was given 8 hourly. Patients were monitored for time to passage of first flatus or faeces. Groups were compared for the duration of postoperative ileus and duration of hospital stay using analysis of variance. Statistical significance was set at a P value of