Table 3 Reported feeding tolerance-related outcomes in RCTs evaluating the effect of pre, pro, or synbiotics on feeding tolerance of enterally fed critically ill patients

Bleichner et al., 1997 [17]

NR

NR

NR

NR

Prevalence: 18/64 (24%)

Days w/ diarrhea per feeding days: 14.2%

Prevalence: 24/64 (38%)

Days w/ diarrhea per feeding days: 18.9%

NR

NR

Schultz et al., 2000 [18]

Mean^a

Mean^a

NR

NR

Prevalence: 1/11 (9%)

Prevalence: 4/11 (36%)

Hospital: 34±14.7

ICU: 28±14.6

Hospital: 24.4±9

ICU: 17.2±8.2

Spapen et al., 2001 [19]

NR

NR

Time to: 5±3 days

Time to:

6±3days

Prevalence: 6/13 (46%)

Days w diarrhea per feeding days: 16/148(10.8%)

Prevalence: 11/12(92%)

Days w diarrhea per feeding days: 46/146 (31.5%)

NR

NR

Rushdi et al., 2004 [20]

Days 1–4

Days 1–4

NR

NR

Liquid stools day1-4

Liquid stools days 1–4

NR

NR

Knight et al., 2009 [21]

Days 1–7

Days 1–7

NR

NR

Prevalence: 7/130 (5%)

Prevalence: 9/129 (7%)

ICU: 6 (3–11)

ICU: 7 (3–14)

Frohmader et al., 2010 [22]

NR

NR

NR

NR

Frequency of liquid stools: 0.53±0.54

Frequency of liquid stools: 1.05±1.08

ICU: 7.3±5.7

ICU: 8.1±4

Barraud et al., 2010 [23]

NR

NR

NR

NR

Prevalence: 48/87(55.2)

Prevalence: 42/80(52.5)

Hospital: 26.6±22.3

ICU: 18.7±12.3

Hospital: 28.9±26.4

ICU: 20.2±20.8

Morrow et al., 2010 [24]

NR

NR

NR

NR

Prevalence: 44/70(62.9)

Days w/ diarrhea: 5.9±3.8

Prevalence: 42/68(61.8)

Days w/ diarrhea: 4.1±3.7

Hospital: 21.4±14.9

ICU: 14.8±11.8

Hospital: 21.7±17.4

ICU: 14.6±11.6

Ferrie and Daley, 2011 [25]

NR

NR

Prevalence 16/18 (88.8)

Prevalence 15/18(83.33)

Diarrhea duration: 7.22±3.63

Loose stool per day: 3.14±1.23

Diarrhea duration: 5.72±2.88

Loose stool per day: 3±1.2

Hospital: 54.5±31.26

ICU: 32.04±24.46

Hospital: 59.04±33.92

ICU: 29.75±18.81

Sanaie et al., 2014 [26]

Mean^a

Mean^a

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

NR

Majid et al.,2014 [27]

NR

NR

NR

NR

Prevalence: 11/12 (92)

Days w/ diarrhea: 3.9±4.1

Prevalence: 9/10 (90)

Days w/ diarrhea: 3.8±3.5

NR

NR

Malik et al., 2016 [28]

NR

NR

Time to: 3±1.75 days

Time to: 7±1.7 days

NR

NR

ICU: 10.9±3.9

ICU: 15.8±7.8

Fazilaty et al., 2018 [29]

Mean^a

Mean^a

NR

NR

NR

NR

ICU: 27.55±7.8

ICU: 31.2±15.8

Shimizu et al., 2018 [30]

NR

NR

NR

NR

Incidence of enteritis: 2/35 (6.3)

Incidence of enteritis: 10/37(27)

ICU: 23 (13–43)

ICU: 28 (17–45)

Tuncay et al., 2018 [31]

Days 1 and 21

Days 1 and 21

Prevalence 22 (95.7)

Prevalence 18 (78.3)

Prevalence: 8.7%

Prevalence: 56.5%

Hospital stay <40 days: 56.6%

Hospital stay ≥41 days: 43.4%

ICU stay <40 days: 69.5%

ICU stay ≥41 days: 43.5%

Hospital stay <40 days: 60.9%

Hospital stay ≥41 days: 39.1%

ICU stay <40 days: 69.5%

ICU stay ≥41 days: 30.4%