Do the Fluids Consumed by Surgical Patients in the Postoperative Period Affect Their Gastrointestinal Motility? A Correlational Study.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between gastrointestinal (GI) motility and oral fluid intake levels in the postoperative period.

Design: This descriptive and correlational study was performed in an education and research hospital between June and September 2019.

Methods: The sample in this study consisted of individuals aged 18 to 80 years who had undergone laparoscopic abdominal surgery. No sampling was performed, and all patients volunteering to take part were included.

Findings: Patients were started on oral nutrition in a median of 6 hours (min: 6 max: 8) after surgery and received 500.00 mL (min: 100 max: 500) oral fluid on the first day after surgery, 600.00 mL (min: 200 max: 1200) on the second, and 725.00 mL (min: 652.47 max: 759.52) on the third. Median time to passage of flatus was 22.50 hours (min: 6 max: 36), and median time to stool production was 39.00 hours (min: 16 max: 70). A positive correlation was found between the amount of oral fluid consumption on the first day and time to passage of flatus, while a negative correlation was observed between the amount of fluid consumption on the second day and time to both flatus and stool production.

Conclusions: Time to flatus production increased in line with the amount of fluid consumed via the oral route on the first day postoperatively, while times to production of flatus and stool decreased as the amount of fluid consumed orally on the second day increased.