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Update Course 2022 - UPDATES IN GASTROSCHISIS FEEDING PROTOCOLS - Jason Fraser, Beth Rymeski, and Steven Lee

Video Published 2022-09-07 Updated 2026-08-01

Topic Overview

Three pediatric surgeons discuss updates to gastroschisis feeding protocols, focusing on three key questions: when to initiate feeds after closure, whether institutional protocols improve outcomes, and how to manage emesis during feeding advancement. The discussion reveals significant practice variation across institutions, with emerging evidence supporting early aggressive feeding protocols that may reduce length of stay from 49 to approximately 30-34 days. The speakers present data from a multi-institutional study showing protocol-fed infants had fewer surgical site infections, though outcomes varied due to protocol heterogeneity across centers.

Key Takeaways

  • Feeding protocols reduce gastroschisis LOS: one center dropped from 49 to 30-34 days with standardized early feeding approach. (10:30)
  • Protocol-fed gastroschisis infants had fewer surgical site infections, likely due to reduced care variation. (10:01)
  • Intermittent feeds preferred over continuous to prevent oral aversion; ~2/3 still discharge with NG/G-tube at one center. (13:06)
  • Protocols should explicitly state emesis is expected in gastroschisis to set realistic expectations for families and nurses. (15:05)

Inside this episode

Kai, the Library's AI content creator, listened to this episode and mapped who's speaking, the chapters, key claims, and cases. Every item links to the exact moment in the recording.

AI-enriched

Who's speaking

  • Todd — host
  • Speaker 2 — guest
  • Justin — guest
  • Jason Fraser — guest
  • Speaker 5 — guest
  • Beth Rymeski — guest

Chapters

  • 0:00When to Start Feeds After Gastroschisis Closure — Discussion of timing for initiating feeds after sutureless closure, with audience polling revealing practice variation between waiting for clear NG output, specific volume thresholds (10-20 mL/kg/day), or immediate feeding. Debate includes brief tangent on sedation practices during dressing placement.
  • 4:12Institutional Feeding Protocols — Speakers present their institutional protocols, with Jason describing aggressive early feeding approach and Beth detailing Cincinnati's structured protocol including sham feeding introduction. Audience poll shows approximately two-thirds have protocols and most follow them.
  • 10:01Protocol Outcomes and Length of Stay — Presentation of multi-institutional study data showing protocol-fed infants had fewer surgical site infections. Cincinnati's experience implementing standardized protocol reduced length of stay from 49 to approximately 39 days over two years, though time to first feed remained challenging to improve.
  • 15:05Managing Emesis During Feed Advancement — Discussion of how to respond to bilious emesis during feeding advancement, revealing divided practices. Speakers emphasize importance of defining institutional tolerance thresholds, setting family expectations that emesis is normal, and continuous patient evaluation rather than rigid protocol adherence.

Key claims

  • 0:00Several hospitals have changed their gastroschisis protocols based on recent publications — Todd
  • 1:45Some protocols say to start feeding when NG output is 20 mL/kg/day — Justin
  • 3:10Some published protocols say to start feeding when the baby has had a bowel movement — Jason Fraser
  • 3:10Some protocols say to start feeding when NG output is clear — Jason Fraser
  • 3:10Some protocols say to start feeding when you clamp the NG and there is no output — Jason Fraser
  • 3:10One institution does not intubate gastroschisis babies at all for dressing placement — Jason Fraser
  • 5:13If you empty the stomach, squish out the colon, go slow, give the baby sweeties, and have nurses help relax the baby, you can reduce gastroschisis without sedation — Jason Fraser
  • 5:52Some institutions use full general anesthesia for gastroschisis reduction — Speaker 5
  • 6:19In parts of the world without TPN access, they must feed gastroschisis babies immediately — Jason Fraser
  • 6:52Cincinnati introduced sham feeding into their gastroschisis protocol because babies had poor oral feeding skills from delayed access to feeding — Beth Rymeski
  • 6:52Cincinnati tried ad-lib feeding for gastroschisis for about a year but abandoned it after reviewing results — Beth Rymeski
  • 6:52Cincinnati's gastroschisis feeding protocol has been in place for approximately four years — Beth Rymeski
  • 9:10Feeding protocols are important because they reduce care variation and allow nurses and residents to advance feeds without calling a doctor every time — Todd
  • 10:01In the multi-institutional study, roughly two-thirds of patients were fed by protocol and one-third were not — Beth Rymeski
  • 10:01Protocol-fed infants had fewer surgical site infections — Beth Rymeski
  • 10:30The study was inconclusive due to lots of different feeding protocols used across member institutions — Jason Fraser
  • 10:30The SSI reduction was probably because protocol-fed patients had less variability and fewer changes in care — Jason Fraser
  • 10:30Cincinnati's average length of stay for gastroschisis was 49 days, astronomically higher than other NICUs in their cooperative network — Jason Fraser
  • 10:30After instituting a feeding protocol, Cincinnati dropped gastroschisis length of stay by 10 days over two years — Jason Fraser
  • 10:30Cincinnati is starting to see a decrease in time from first feed to full feeds — Jason Fraser
  • 10:30Cincinnati has not seen a change in days from admission to first feed, although 2020 showed improvement before bouncing back — Jason Fraser
  • 13:06Some neonatologists prefer continuous feeds, which can lead to babies not taking anything orally and developing oral aversion, prolonging length of stay — Justin
  • 13:51Cincinnati tries to do intermittent feeds to start, though the protocol does not specifically mandate it — Beth Rymeski
  • 13:51Approximately two-thirds of Cincinnati's gastroschisis babies go home with an NG or G-tube — Beth Rymeski
  • 13:51Cincinnati has only been doing sham feeds for about a year, too early to see if it makes a difference — Beth Rymeski
  • 15:05Some people will ignore bilious emesis completely in gastroschisis patients — Jason Fraser
  • 15:05Some people check residuals which will be bilious and some will completely ignore that — Jason Fraser
  • 15:05A study from New Zealand discusses attitudes towards feeding in gastroschisis — Jason Fraser
  • 15:05Institutions need to define their own tolerance thresholds and stay on protocol while continually evaluating patient condition — Jason Fraser
  • 15:05If a patient has significant issues and complete intolerance, one approach is to stop feeds for six hours — Jason Fraser
  • 16:58Cincinnati's written protocol states that emesis is expected to set family and nursing expectations — Beth Rymeski
  • 17:15One recent patient who was primarily reduced on day of life zero was out of hospital in about two weeks — Jason Fraser
  • 17:15Current gastroschisis length of stay is about 30 to 34 days at one institution — Jason Fraser
  • 17:15The institution tries to push oral feeds quickly to avoid oral aversion — Jason Fraser
  • 18:00One institution has not seen any aspirations with early aggressive feeding yet — Jason Fraser
  • 18:28Much of the early feeding data came from low-resource countries without TPN access — Justin
  • 18:28It is very hard for gastroschisis babies in Africa to tolerate early aggressive feeding — Justin
  • 18:56At least two-thirds of gastroschisis cases at one institution cannot be reduced right away and are placed in a silo — Jason Fraser

Points of disagreement

  • 4:12Sedation for gastroschisis dressing placement
    • Todd: Believes sedation leads to better outcomes and easier reduction
    • Jason Fraser: Advocates for no sedation, using slow technique with sweeties and nursing support
    • Speaker 5: Uses full general anesthesia for reduction
  • 12:40Response to bilious emesis during feeding
    • Justin: Implied support for continuing feeds
    • Jason Fraser: Acknowledges some ignore emesis completely while others stop feeds; his protocol stops for 6 hours with significant intolerance

Open questions

  • What is the optimal NG output threshold for initiating feeds after gastroschisis closure?
  • Does early aggressive feeding increase aspiration risk in gastroschisis patients?
  • Will sham feeding protocols reduce the rate of G-tube placement at discharge?
  • Why has time from admission to first feed remained difficult to improve despite protocol implementation?
  • What feeding approaches are most effective in low-resource settings without TPN access?
This episode was analyzed and enriched by Kai, the Library's AI content creator. Every item links to the moment it comes from — click a timestamp to listen in context.

Gastroschisis Feeding Protocols: From Variation to Standardization

The episode's teaching points arranged as a structured lesson, building from the basics up to the finer points. Written by Kai from the episode transcript and reviewed before publishing.

For trainees · Teaching arc · AI-written, human-reviewed

Protocol structure determines outcomes, not just protocol existence

The multi-institutional study revealed that roughly two-thirds of gastroschisis patients were fed by protocol and one-third were not 10:01. Protocol-fed infants had fewer surgical site infections 10:01, but the study remained inconclusive because member institutions used vastly different feeding protocols 10:30. The SSI reduction likely resulted from reduced care variation rather than any specific feeding threshold — protocol adherence meant fewer ad hoc changes in management 10:30. This matters because Cincinnati's experience demonstrates the cost of variation: their average gastroschisis length of stay was 49 days, astronomically higher than comparable NICUs in their network 10:30. After instituting a standardized feeding protocol, they dropped length of stay by 10 days over two years with no change in patient mix 10:30.

Starting criteria vary widely, but institutional consistency matters more than the specific threshold

Published protocols use different triggers to initiate feeding: NG output less than 20 mL/kg/day 1:45, first bowel movement 3:10, clear NG output 3:10, or zero output after clamping the NG tube 3:10. One institution starts feeding immediately after dressing placement as long as the infant is not sick and has no voluminous output 3:10. The variation reflects genuine uncertainty about optimal timing, but what separates high-performing from low-performing units is not which threshold they chose — it is whether they defined one and adhered to it. Institutions must define their own tolerance thresholds and maintain protocol adherence while continuously evaluating individual patient condition 15:05.

Oral aversion is a length-of-stay driver that protocols must address explicitly

Some neonatologists prefer continuous feeds, which can lead to infants taking nothing orally and developing oral aversion, prolonging length of stay 13:06. Cincinnati's data showed approximately two-thirds of their gastroschisis patients went home with an NG or G-tube 13:51 — an outcome that prompted protocol revision. They introduced sham feeding into their protocol specifically because infants had poor oral feeding skills from delayed access to feeding 6:52. Cincinnati tries to use intermittent feeds from the start, though the protocol does not mandate it 13:51. They have only been doing sham feeds for about a year, too early to assess impact 13:51, but the principle is sound: protocols that focus only on advancing enteral volume without addressing oral motor development will produce tube-dependent infants.

Bilious emesis tolerance must be defined institutionally, not left to individual judgment

Some clinicians will ignore bilious emesis completely in gastroschisis patients; others check residuals that will be bilious and ignore that; still others will halt feeds for any bilious output 15:05 15:05. Cincinnati's written protocol explicitly states that emesis is expected, setting clear expectations for families and nursing staff 16:58. When a patient shows complete intolerance, one approach is to stop feeds for six hours 15:05. The specific threshold matters less than having one — the New Zealand study on feeding attitudes in gastroschisis underscores how much practice varies 15:05. What protocols prevent is the daily renegotiation of what counts as intolerance, which introduces the variation that drives length of stay upward.

Early aggressive feeding is feasible in resource-rich settings but requires continuous monitoring

One institution reported a primarily reduced gastroschisis patient discharged in approximately two weeks 17:15, with current institutional length of stay around 30 to 34 days 17:15. They push oral feeds quickly to avoid oral aversion 17:15 and have not yet seen aspirations with early aggressive feeding 18:00. Much of the early feeding data originated from low-resource countries without TPN access, where immediate feeding is mandatory 6:19 18:28. However, it is very hard for gastroschisis infants in Africa to tolerate early aggressive feeding 18:28 — a reminder that protocols developed in resource-rich environments may not translate. The key teaching point is not that early feeding is universally safe, but that institutions with robust monitoring can push feeding aggressively while watching for the subset of patients who cannot tolerate it.

Takeaways from this story

  • Protocol adherence reduces SSI and length of stay more than the specific feeding threshold chosen
  • Two-thirds of gastroschisis patients going home with feeding tubes signals a protocol gap in oral motor development
  • Defining institutional tolerance for bilious emesis prevents daily renegotiation that drives care variation
  • Early aggressive feeding in resource-rich settings can achieve two-week discharge but requires continuous monitoring

Keywords

Transcript

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