Incidence and factors associated with constipation in intensive care

Despite being a complication that is commonly identified in severe patients, constipation is not a frequent topic in intensive care journals. In Brazil, little is known about constipation in critically-ill adults. The objective of this study is to assess the incidence and factors associated with constipation in critically-ill patients by means of an integrative review conducted from 2016 to 2020 in the following databases: BVS, LILACS, SciELO and PUBMED. The following descriptors were adopted to find the articles: Constipação intestinal (Constipation; Estreñimiento); Cuidadoscríticos (Critical Care; CuidadosCríticos); Terapia Intensiva (Intensive Care; CuidadosIntensivos). A total of six papers were selected in which the main findings correlated with constipation were as follows: increased mortality in the ICU, increased length of stay, and increased need for mechanical ventilation in critically-ill patients. The study also revealed that late enteral nutrition, use of sedatives and surgery were independent risk factors for late bowel evacuation, and that the number of days of use of medications acting on the gastrointestinal tract is an independent protective factor for constipation. New studies are necessary to elucidate the effects of intestinal constipation in the prognosis of critically-ill patients. Given these findings, it becomes necessary to devise protocols and action plans to prevent and treat this disorder in intensive care units.