Poop pills for ICU patients? new trial tests fecal transplants for feeding troubles

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Aged 18 to 70 years inclusive, regardless of ethnicity or gender; 2. Female participants are either non-fertile (i.e., physiologically incapable of pregnancy, including women with ≥2 years of menopause) or have no pregnancy plans; 3. Have been admitted to the ICU for ≥24 hours; 4. Expected ICU stay ≥7 days after study enrollment; 5. Screened positive for ≥1 manifestation of gastrointestinal dysfunction (intra-abdominal hypertension \[IAH\], massive gastric retention, diarrhea, lower gastrointestinal paralysis, bowel dilatation); enteral nutrition is then implemented under the guidance of the enteral feeding intolerance (FI) score, and participants with persistent FI after a 3-day trial are formally enrolled; 6. Participants can actively cooperate or passively complete relevant examinations and follow-up procedures; 7. Have signed a written informed consent form. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Severe systemic infection in the early resuscitation phase, with hemodynamic instability, insufficient tissue perfusion, or severe fluid-electrolyte and acid-base imbalances; 2. Patients assessed by clinicians as having a high risk of death within 5 days, or those with restricted treatment decisions; 3. Active gastrointestinal bleeding, perforation, or other conditions with severe intestinal barrier impairment; 4. Patients unable to tolerate enteral nutrition meeting 50% of caloric requirements due to severe diarrhea, significant fibrotic intestinal stenosis, massive gastrointestinal bleeding, or high-output enterocutaneous fistula; 5. Planned or recent abdominal surgery (within 14 days prior to enrollment); 6. Current diagnosis of fulminant colitis or toxic megacolon; 7. Neutropenia (neutrophil count \< 1500 cells/µL); 8. Patients with congenital or acquired immunodeficiency disorders; 9. Recent receipt of high-risk immunosuppressive or cytotoxic agents, e.g., rituximab, doxorubicin, or medium-to-high-dose corticosteroids (≥ 20 mg/day prednisone equivalent) for a duration of \> 4 weeks; 10. Pregnant or lactating women; 11. Participation in another clinical trial as a subject at the time of enrollment or within 3 months prior to enrollment; 12. Doubtful validity of informed consent: subjects with mental illness, intellectual disability, poor motivation, or other factors that restrict the validity of informed consent for participation in this study.