Effect of enteral nutrition nursing combined with gastrointestinal function monitoring on gastric retention and abdominal distension in neurosurgical patients

This study evaluated the clinical effects of enteral nutrition nursing combined with gastrointestinal function monitoring in neurosurgical patients receiving enteral nutrition. This single-center retrospective cohort study included 120 neurosurgical patients who received enteral nutritional support from June 2023 to June 2025. Sixty patients received routine enteral nutrition nursing (control group), and 60 received routine care plus dynamic gastrointestinal function monitoring (combined nursing group). Outcomes included gastric retention, abdominal distension, nausea and vomiting, overall gastrointestinal intolerance, enteral nutrition interruption, aspiration/reflux, nutritional delivery, gastrointestinal recovery, hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) stay, nutritional tolerance, and nursing satisfaction. Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with gastric retention. Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups (all P > .05). Gastric retention occurred less frequently in the combined nursing group than in the control group (15.0% vs 30.0%), although the difference did not reach statistical significance ( P = .053). The combined nursing group had lower incidences of abdominal distension (16.7% vs 36.7%, P = .011), nausea and vomiting (11.7% vs 26.7%, P = .038), and overall gastrointestinal intolerance (20.0% vs 43.3%, P = .006). Time to achievement of enteral nutrition targets, gastric residual volume, time to recovery of bowel sounds, and time to first defecation were also more favorable (all P < .001). Enteral nutrition interruption was less frequent (8.3% vs 23.3%, P = .022), and hospital and ICU stays were shorter (both P < .01). Good nutritional tolerance and nursing satisfaction were more frequent in the combined nursing group (both P < .05). Multivariable analysis showed that the combined nursing model was associated with lower odds of gastric retention. Enteral nutrition nursing combined with gastrointestinal function monitoring was associated with improved gastrointestinal tolerance, more efficient nutritional delivery, earlier gastrointestinal recovery, and shorter hospital and ICU stays. A lower observed incidence of gastric retention was also noted, and adjusted analysis suggested an association with reduced odds of gastric retention.