Proximal gastric response to small intestinal nutrients is abnormal in mechanically ventilated critically ill patients

Table 1 Demographic characteristics of the studied subjects

	Critically ill patients(n = 13)	Healthy subjects(n = 12)
Age (yr)	49.3 ± 4.7 b	27.7 ± 2.9
Sex (M:F)	11:2	8:4
BMI (kg/m2)	29.7 ± 1.7	24.1 ± 1.0
APACHE II score		Not applicable
On admission	24.1 ± 1.3
Study day	24.7 ± 1.8
Days in ICU prior to study	5.0 ± 0.2	Not applicable
Diagnosis	Head injury (2), motor vehicle accident (2), cardiac arrest and failure(3), acute pancreatitis (2), subdural haemorrhage, uro-sepsis, chronic obstructed airway disease, asthma	Not applicable

^bP < 0.01 vs healthy subjects.