Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40005004›Full record

ArticleNutrients2025

Efficacy of Fiber-Enriched Versus Fiber-Free Enteral Feeds on Bowel Function of Non-Critically Ill Tube-Fed Adult Patients in Saudi Arabia-A Prospective Cohort Study.

Mostafa A Abolfotouh, Rawan A Alolayan, Heba Binhusain, Abdulrahman Alsayegh, Ibrahim T Al Babtain

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nutrients, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Mostafa A AbolfotouhKing Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0003-3787-429X
Rawan A AlolayanDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.
Heba BinhusainDepartment of Clinical Nutrition, King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.
Abdulrahman AlsayeghCollege of Applied Medical Sciences, King Saud University, Riyadh 11362, Saudi Arabia.
Ibrahim T Al BabtainKing Abdullah International Medical Research Center, King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh 11426, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is controversy regarding whether using fiber-enriched formula affects the incidence of diarrhea among enterally fed patients in our setting. Also, there is a lack of clinical studies about enterally fed patients' tolerance for feeding and the incidence of diarrhea among patients in the Middle East. This study aimed to assess fiber enrichment's efficacy in reducing post-enteral feeding bowel intolerance in non-critically ill patients.

methodsThis was a prospective cohort study of 55 fiber-free (FF) and 119 fiber-enriched (FE) tube-fed adult patients admitted for five or more days with medical or surgical conditions. Data on patients' demographics, antibiotics and laxative medications, and gastrointestinal complications were collected. Absolute risk reduction (ARR), relative risk reduction (RRR), and relative risks (RR) were calculated to assess the efficacy of fiber enrichment in reducing post-enteral feeding bowel intolerance. Statistical significance was set at

resultsThe rate of diarrhea dropped from 54.5% for FF to 29% for FE groups, with an ARR of 25.1% (95% CI 24.6-25.6,

conclusionsThis study demonstrated the beneficial effect of fiber supplementation in minimizing diarrhea in hospitalized patients receiving tube feeding. Antibiotic usage must be scrutinized and stopped if possible. Overall, the study provides compelling evidence supporting fiber-enriched enteral feeding, though further discussion on potential confounders and clinical applications would enhance its impact. Further, well-designed RCTs are needed to prove the efficacy of fiber-enriched feeds used in enteral tube feeding in non-critically ill patients.

Indexed as

DiarrheaDietary FiberEnteral NutritionAdultAgedFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesSaudi ArabiaDietary Fiberabsolute risk reductionbowel functiondiarrheadietary fiberenteral feedingfiber supplementationrelative risk reductionSaudi Arabiasignificant weight loss

Identifiers

PMID40005004
PMCPMC11857897

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.