Risk factors for late defecation and its association with the outcomes of critically ill patients: a retrospective observational study

Late defecation was recently reported to be associated with worse clinical outcomes in critically ill patients. However, more research is needed to examine the causes and clinical significance of late defecation. The objectives of this study were to investigate the risk factors for late defecation and its association with the outcomes of intensive care unit (ICU) patients. Patients in an ICU for ≥7 days between January and December 2011 were retrospectively assessed. Based on the time between admission and the first defecation, they were assigned to early (