CONTINUation of Enteral Nutrition Prior to Extubation Compared to Standard Care (CONTINUE)

CONTINUation of Enteral Nutrition Prior to Extubation Compared to Standard Care: A Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial (CONTINUE Trial)

Critically ill patients admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) often need to be connected to a breathing machine (ventilator) and are unable to eat. During this time, liquid nutrition is delivered via a feeding tube to the stomach or bowel (termed enteral nutrition (EN)) to ensure nutrition needs are provided until such time that the patient can eat normally.

The delivery of nutrition via EN is frequently interrupted due to procedures and changes in the gastrointestinal system that can cause digestion to be slow. One of the main contributors to EN interruptions is fasting prior to removal of the breathing tube (termed extubation).

The practice of pausing EN prior to the removal of the breathing tube is historical and based on evidence for patients who are not within the ICU. There is currently no scientific consensus on whether pausing of EN is necessary, or for how long. Because of this, some clinicians choose to pause EN prior to removal of the breathing tube and some clinicians continue to provide EN.

This study is a pilot randomised controlled trial of fasting patients for at least 4 hours prior to removal of the breathing tube compared with not pausing EN. The investigators hypothesise that this will reduce the number of hours of fasting in the 24 hours prior to extubation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Critical Illness
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: EN will be continued up to extubation (EN will not be withheld prior to extubation)

Detailed Description

The provision of EN is standard practice to mechanically ventilated patients within the ICU. Delivery is frequently interrupted, with patients often receiving approximately half of prescribed volumes. One of the main contributors to this is fasting prior to extubation. Fasting prior to extubation is historically informed from pre-anaesthetic practice in patients who are not critically ill where fasting allows for adequate gastric emptying and reduces the risk of aspiration on induction. The practice of fasting prior to extubation is less informed, and variable. A recent scoping review identified only 1 randomised controlled trial (RCT) and 13 observational studies on this topic. The review found fasting durations varied between 0-34 hours and the reasons for fasting prior to extubation were safety related; however, these reasons were often extrapolated from data outside of the ICU as outlined above. The review concluded that there is an evidence gap and no evidence-based consensus as to the rationale and duration of fasting critically ill patients prior to extubation.

The clinical consequences of fasting (and particularly repeated fasting) are not well understood; however, it is known that fasting leads to reduced nutrition which may negatively impact response to illness, particularly in patients with a long length of stay. Beyond this, the requirement for fasting may delay extubation and progression of care (as extubation may be cancelled if the patient is not adequately fasted) and lead to unnecessary use for nursing and medical resources.

The CONTINUE trial represents the first trial of its kind in Australia and seeks to determine feasibility to inform a program of research that addresses a universal practice for critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation. Establishment of feasibility will provide data to inform a large RCT of similar nature, powered to determine differences in important clinical outcomes such as reintubation rate, ventilator free days to day 28 of admission and development of aspiration pneumonia. The culmination of this research will be to create an evidence-based guideline on pre-extubation fasting with the aim of standardising and informing international practice.

The primary aim is to determine whether continuing EN to the point of extubation and performing maximal nasogastric aspiration immediately prior is feasible and decreases total fasting in the time 24 hours prior to extubation compared to standard practice of ceasing EN 4- 6 hours prior to planned extubation, in low risk ventilated patients. Secondary objectives include assessment of important safety related endpoints including change in oxygenation requirements, aspiration, reintubation rate at 48 hours after extubation and clinical outcome measures including ICU and hospital morbidity and mortality.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 60
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Australia
  • Queensland
    • Southport, Queensland, Australia, 4215
      • Gold Coast University Hospital
  • Victoria
    • Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia, 3065
      • St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne
    • Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3004
      • The Alfred Hospital

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• 18 years or older
• Receiving invasive mechanical ventilation > 24 hours and < 10 days in the index ICU admission
• Receiving EN at a rate ≥ 30ml/hr
• Planned for extubation within the hours of 0800-1800

Exclusion Criteria:

• EN delivery via a fine bore nasogastric tube that is unable to be aspirated
• A single gastric residual volume ≥ the maximum protocol limit at the participating site has been recorded within the last 24 hours
• Currently receiving extracorporeal membrane oxygenation
• Acute neurological pathology
• A time critical medication is required via the enteral route (including anti-parkinsons and immunosuppressant medication) and no adjustments can be made
• Pre-existing swallow, bulbar dysfunction and/or concern around inadequate airway protection
• A laparotomy has been performed within 72 hours of planned extubation
• Confirmed pregnancy
• Patient not deemed appropriate to be reintubated in the event of deterioration
• Treating clinician believes enrolment is not in the best interests of the patient

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Health Services Research
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Intervention group: Continuation of enteral nutrition (EN) prior to extubation; Maintenance of EN at the same hourly rate until the point of extubation. Maximal suction of the EN tube prior to extubation will take place.	Other: EN will be continued up to extubation (EN will not be withheld prior to extubation); As per the arm/group descriptions.
No Intervention: Control group: Cessation of EN prior to extubation; Cessation of EN at least 4-6 hours prior to the point of extubation. Maximal suction of the EN tube prior to extubation will take place.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Fasting time (hours)	Fasting time due to planned extubation	24 hours prior to endotracheal tube removal

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Reintubation rate	Actual reintubation rate and according to an objective criterion for failure: Respiratory acidosis (pH <7.35 with Paco2 >45 mm Hg); Spo2 less than 90% or Pao2 less than 60 mm Hg at Fio2 greater than 0.4; Respiratory rate greater than 35/min; Decreased level of consciousness (defined as a decrease in GCS score >1 point); Agitation, or clinical signs suggestive of respiratory muscle fatigue, increased work of breathing (eg, the use of respiratory accessory muscles, paradoxical abdominal motion, or retraction of the intercostal spaces), or both; Patients dying within 72 hours will also be considered as extubation failures.	48 hours post endotracheal tube removal
Days alive and free of mechanical ventilation	Number of days alive and free of mechanical ventilation	Up to day 28 post randomisation
Commencement of antibiotics	Commencement of antibiotics for a chest infection or aspiration	Up to 7 days post endotracheal tube removal
Ratio of oxygen saturation (SpO2)/ fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2)	SpO2:FiO2 ratio	12 hours post endotracheal tube removal
ICU length of stay	ICU length of stay (days)	Up to day 28 post randomisation
In-hospital mortality	In-hospital mortality during ICU or acute ward admission	Up to day 28 post randomisation
Nutrition delivery	The absolute and relative (to calculated requirements) amount of calories delivered	24 hours prior to endotracheal tube removal
Recruitment rate	Number of patients recruited per month	Up to the end of the study period
Protocol compliance	Defined as the proportion of patients receiving the allocated intervention	Up to Endotracheal Tube removal

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Emma Ridley

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Varghese JA, Tatucu-Babet OA, Miller E, Lambell K, Deane AM, Burrell AJC, Ridley EJ. Fasting practices of enteral nutrition delivery for airway procedures in critically ill adult patients: A scoping review. J Crit Care. 2022 Dec;72:154144. doi: 10.1016/j.jcrc.2022.154144. Epub 2022 Sep 15.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 20, 2024
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 15, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): August 28, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 15, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 22, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): April 24, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): May 8, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: May 5, 2026
• Last Verified: May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Enteral Nutrition; Fasting; Extubation
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pathologic Processes; Disease Attributes; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Behavior; Feeding Behavior; Critical Illness; Fasting
• Other Study ID Numbers: ANZIC- RC ER008

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No