A clinical audit of the efficacy of tegaserod as a prokinetic agent in the intensive care unit.

Objective: To formally document the effectiveness of tegaserod as a prokinetic agent in intensive care patients.

Methods: The audit was designed in consultation with the Northern Territory Drug and Therapeutics Committee. Tegaserod was added to the feeding protocol and prokinetic algorithm in the ICU, and a prospective audit was performed of patients receiving the medication between May and September 2006.

Results: Over the 5-month period, 40 patients received tegaserod after failing to respond to two doses of metoclopramide. Median daily volume of gastric aspirate was reduced from 1220mL in the 24 hours before tegaserod to 887.5mL in the first 24 hours after its introduction, and to 280mL in the second 24 hours (P=0.01 and P<0.001, respectively). Tegaserod was an effective prokinetic agent in 85% (34) patients. Attributable diarrhoea occurred in 13% (5) patients, but did not require intervention.

Conclusions: Tegaserod is an effective alternative prokinetic agent for ICU patients with a safer side-effect profile. We believe it warrants further investigation.