Effect of abdominal massage on feeding intolerance in patients receiving enteral nutrition: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Jia Wang, Yahong Chen, Hui Xue and 6 others
PMID 36517968WHAT IT FOUND
Abdominal massage reduced feeding intolerance symptoms like vomiting and distension in enteral nutrition patients.
It did not increase aspiration risk. Nurses can perform this or teach families, but study quality was fair and participants were mostly Asian.
Key findings
01Abdominal massage significantly reduced the incidence of vomiting, abdominal distension, diarrhoea, and constipation compared to conventional care.
02Gastric residual volume and gastric retention were significantly lower in the massage group, with no statistically significant increase in aspiration.
03Most included trials were conducted by professionals, but two studies showed family members could also perform the massage.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The overall quality of the included studies was rated as fair, with only one study reporting allocation concealment. All participants were from Asian countries (China, Turkey, Iran), which may limit generalizability to other populations. The number of studies reporting specific outcomes varied, with only one study reporting aspiration data. Heterogeneity in massage duration and technique made it difficult to determine the optimal protocol.
Declared interests
Funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and Jilin Province Higher Education Research Projects. Authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume this proves abdominal massage prevents aspiration pneumonia. The reduction in aspiration events was not statistically significant, and the data came from only one study. The benefit is primarily in reducing discomfort and feeding interruptions, not necessarily in preventing serious complications like aspiration.