BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Gastric residual volume is considered as an important parameter for gastric emptying and feeding tolerance. This volume is measured before each time of feeding and it has direct effect on the volume and time of the next feeding. Ginger is one of the medicinal plants that have effect on gastric emptying rate. This study aims to compare the effect of erythromycin and ginger extract on gastric residual volume in patients receiving enteral nutrition order in the intensive care unit.

METHODS: This randomized clinical trial was conducted among 74 patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit. Patients were fed with similar nutrition formula every 3 hours for 24 hours. Before each gavage feeding, the gastric residual volume of patients was aspirated and recorded. The gastric residual volume of 28 patients (more than 200 cc) was allocated to one of the groups of erythromycin (n = 13) and ginger (n = 15). Patients were fed with 2.5 mg/kg erythromycin in 4 divided doses or 2 grams per day ginger extract in 4 divided doses. The gastric residual volume was recorded for 4 consecutive days and the data obtained from the two groups were compared (IRCT: 201505257494N13).

FINDINGS: The mean difference of gastric residual volume in erythromycin group was 111.71±7.04 cc before the intervention and 4 days after that, which was not statistically significant. This difference was 108.61±11.47 cc in ginger group. Results demonstrated that mean gastric residual volume in erythromycin and ginger groups were 98.52±27.88 cc and 95.71±18.91 cc, respectively during the first 4 days and there was not a statistically significant difference between these two groups.

CONCLUSION: Results of the study demonstrated that the effect of ginger is very similar to erythromycin. Therefore, ginger can be a proper substitute for erythromycin to prevent increased gastric residual volume in patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit.