Background Disorders of Consciousness (DoC), such as vegetative state/unresponsive wakefulness syndrome (VS/UWS) and minimally conscious state (MCS), severely impact patient quality of life, particularly through gastrointestinal (GI) complications, which are prevalent but understudied. This study aimed to address the epidemiological landscape of GI complications among DoC patients in China, where such data could be crucial for improving clinical outcomes.

Methods This multi-centre research was conducted from June 2021 to May 2022 across 18 medical institutions in China. The data collection was facilitated by a rigorously developed questionnaire vetted by experts and informed by literature, which gathered comprehensive data on patients’ demographics, treatment modalities and relevant GI complications. Descriptive analyses and regressions were applied to elucidate the epidemiological profile of GI complications and predictors for comprehensive nutritional evaluations in DoC patients.

Results A total of 142 patients (median age: 55 yrs.; male: 63%) were enrolled, with leading DoC causes of stroke (48%), traumatic brain injury (36%), and hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (9%). Notably, the primary GI complications in DoC patients were constipation (51%) and malnutrition (42%), which also ranked second and third among all complications, respectively. Furthermore, a large proportion of the patients required nasogastric feeding (90%), while only a few required gastrostomy or parenteral nutrition. Notably, only 59% of the patients received professional nutritional assessments regularly, and our regressions revealed that patients experiencing pain (a suggestion of higher consciousness, with Nociception Coma Scale score≥4) were more likely to receive comprehensive nutritional evaluations (p=0.01).

Conclusions This study underscores the high prevalence of GI complications in DoC patients in China, emphasizing the need for targeted clinical management strategies within their comprehensive care.