Pharmacological manipulation of adynamic ileus: controlled randomized double-blind study of ceruletide on intestinal motor activity after elective abdominal surgery

SUMMARY In a double-blind placebo-controlled trial of patients undergoing elective abdominal surgery (n=91), a single intravenous infusion of ceruletide (2.5 ng kg−’min−1’for 1 hour) resulted in audible bowel sounds in 42/47 patients as opposed to 30/44 receiving placebo (P < 0.025). Excessive bowel sounds were noted in 16 patients in the ceruletide group and four receiving placebo (P < 0.01). Significantly more patients (P < 0.01) in the ceruletide group (22/45 versus 9/44) passed flatus per rectum between the second and third post-operative day. Ceruletide infusion was accompanied by a significant increase in the incidence of nausea and vomiting (P < 0.005, P < 0.0025) but these side effects were short-lived. These results indicate that ceruletide is likely to be a useful therapeutic agent for acute intestinal adynamic motility disorders.