Prospective randomized trial of early initiation and hospital discharge ona liquid diet following elective intestinal surgery

Length of hospital stay after elective intestinal surgery may be related to patient tolerance of a diet. We hypothesized that early initiation and dis charge home on a clear liquid diet would decrease the length of hospital st ay Without increasing morbidity. The aim of this study was to determine if early initiation and discharge on a clear liquid diet decreases the length of hospital stay and is safe. Forty-four patients were randomly assigned to either a standard diet or a clear liquid diet. A standard diet (n = 17) wa s begun after the passage of flatus or stool, and consisted of clear liquid s to a volume of approximately 750 mi, then three solid meals, and discharg e thereafter. Patients randomized to a clear liquid diet (n = 27) received 30 ml/hr of clear liquids on postoperative day 2, unlimited clear liquids o n postoperative day 3, and were dismissed on a dear liquid diet on postoper ative day 4. All patients were followed by a daily telephone call and clini c visit. The primary: outcome variable was length of hospital stay. The inc idence of postoperadye intestinal-related sequalae, complications, and read mission rates did not differ between groups. Postdischarge intestinal sympt oms were common in both groups but tended to resolve faster in the patients on a standard diet. The length of hospital stay was decreased in the patie nts on a clear liquid diet compared to those on a standard diet (6.1 +/- 1. 1 days vs. 4.4 +/- 0.2 days; P = 0.09), but total hospital costs did not di ffer. Early initiation and hospital discharge on a clear liquid diet after elective intestinal surgery decreases the length of hospital stay and is sa fe.