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Updated: Sep 26, 2025

A Clinical Trial Assessing the Safety, Efficacy, and Delivery of Olive-Oil-Based Three-Chamber Bags for Parenteral Nutrition
Published on: September 20, 2019
Effect of Combined Protein-Enriched Enteral Nutrition and Early Cycle Ergometry in Mechanically Ventilated Critically
Ilya Kagan1, Jonathan Cohen1, Itai Bendavid1
1Department of General Intensive Care and Institute for Nutrition Research, Rabin, Medical Center, Beilinson Campus, Petah Tikva 49100, Israel.
Background:
Cycle ergometry (CE) is a method of exercise used in clinical practice. Limited data demonstrate its effectiveness in critically ill patients. We aimed to evaluate the combination of CE and a high-protein diet in critically ill patients.
Methods:
This was an open label pilot trial comparing conventional physiotherapy with enteral nutrition (EN) (control, Group 1), CE with EN (Group 2), and CE with protein-enriched EN (Group 3). The primary outcome was length of ventilation (LOV). Secondary outcomes were intensive care unit (ICU) mortality, length of ICU stay (ICU LOS), length of hospital stay (Hospital LOS), and rate of re-intubation.
Results:
Per protocol, 41 ICU patients were enrolled. Thirteen patients were randomized to Group 1 (control), fourteen patients to Group 2, and fourteen patients to Group 3 (study groups). We found no statistically significant difference in LOV between the study arms (14.2 ± 9.6 days, 15.8 ± 7.1 days, and 14.9 ± 9.4 days, respectively, p = 0.89). Secondary outcomes did not demonstrate any significant differences between arms.
Conclusions:
In this pilot trial, CE combined with either standard EN or protein-enriched EN was not associated with better clinical outcomes, as compared to conventional physiotherapy with standard EN. Larger trials are needed in order to further evaluate this combination.
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