Measurement of Gastrointestinal Myoelectric Activity in Patients at Risk for or Who Have a Post-Operative Ileus (POI)

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Phase: Pilot/Feasibility
Status: Recruiting

The purpose of this study is to record the electrical signals that naturally occur in the digestive tract (also called the gastrointestinal or GI tract) and motility patterns in individuals who undergo surgery. Patients who have GI surgery have the potential to develop an ileus after surgery. An ileus is a condition that causes the intestinal contents to back up because peristalsis (the forward movement of contents) fails, although the inside of the stomach and intestines do not have an obstruction. This study will test a device which measures the electrical activity from the GI tract and uses medical grade adhesive to adhere to the skin and which is placed on the stomach or abdomen to measure the natural electrical activity in the GI tract following surgery. Myoelectric activity is the electrical current that the smooth muscle cells in the GI tract generate. Like the electrocardiogram (ECG) of the heart, a signal of the activity can be detected at the skin surface. The purpose of the study is to measure the electrical activity in patients who develop an ileus and in patients who have normal return of GI activity following surgery to retrospectively look for differences in the patterns that could be used to predict who might develop ileus.

For more information about this clinical trial, including trial status, eligibility and full trial listing, visit www.clinicaltrials.gov.