Is There a Role for Enterohormones in the Gastroparesis of Critically Ill Patients?

Objectives: Delayed gastric emptying occurs in critically ill patients and impairs the delivery, digestion, and absorption of enteral feeding. A pathophysiologic role of the enterohormones peptide YY and ghrelin is supported by preclinical data. To compare the circulating plasma levels of peptide YY and ghrelin in control subjects and in critically ill patients, during feeding and fasting, and to search for a correlation with gastric emptying.