This prospective observational cohort study aims to characterize feeding intolerance in critically ill adult patients and to identify clinical, physiological, laboratory, electrophysiological, and imaging factors associated with its development.
Within 24 hours after intensive care unit (ICU) admission, participants undergo systematic multimodal assessment, including blood sampling, gastrointestinal electrophysiological measurements, gastric antral ultrasonography with assessment of antral motility, skeletal muscle ultrasonography, intra-abdominal pressure measurement, and collection of relevant clinical and laboratory variables.
Participants are prospectively followed for the occurrence of feeding intolerance and other clinically relevant outcomes. The study will evaluate the incidence, predictors, and risk factors of feeding intolerance and explore whether multimodal measurements obtained within the first 24 hours after ICU admission can improve early prediction of feeding intolerance compared with conventional clinical variables.
Additional outcomes include duration of organ support, ICU-free days, ventilator-free days, mortality at 28, 90, and 180 days, and longer-term health-related quality of life assessed using the EQ-5D-5L.
The overall objective is to improve understanding of feeding intolerance in critically ill patients, enable early risk stratification, and provide a theoretical basis for future individualized nutritional assessment and management strategies.