Abstract：Objective：To observe the effect of auricular point seed-pressing combined with external application of natrii sulfas on gastrointestinal function in intensive care unit （ICU） patients with mechanical ventilation and abdominal distension. Methods：A retrospective study was conducted on 100 ICU patients with mechanical ventilation and abdominal distension treated at Lishui People's Hospital from January 2023 to December 2024. Patients were divided into a control group （n=50，receiving conventional ICU treatment and care） and a combination group （n=50， receiving auricular point seed-pressing combined with external application of natrii sulfas on the basis of the control grups's regimen） . Both groups were treated continuously for seven days. Clinical efficacy， recovery indicators， traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores， abdominal pressure， abdominal circumference， gastrointestinal function indicators [pepsinogen （PG）Ⅰ ， PG Ⅱ ， gastrin （GAS）， motilin （MTL）]， inflammatory and nutritional markers [high mobility group box 1 protein （HMGB1），monocyte chemotactic protein-4 （MCP-4），albumin （Alb）， transferrin （TF）]， and quality of life [World Health Organization Quality of Life-100 （WHOQOL-100） scores] were compared between the two groups before and after treatment. Results：The total effective rate of the combination group was 96.00% （48/50）， and the total effective rate of the control group was 82.00% （41/50）， the difference being significant （P＜0.05）. The recovery time of intestinal peristalsis， the first exhaust time， and ICU stay time in the combination group were shorter than those in the control group， differences being significant （P＜0.05）. After treatment， the traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores of the two groups were decreased compared with those before treatment （P＜0.05），and the abdominal pressure and abdominal circumference were decreased compared with those before treatment （P＜0.05）. The traditional Chinese medicine syndrome score of the combination group was lower than that of the control group （P＜0.05），and the abdominal pressure and abdominal circumference of the combination group were lower than those of the control group （P＜0.05）. After treatment，the levels of GAS，MTL，PGⅠ，and PG Ⅱ in the two groups were increased compared with those before treatment （P＜0.05），and the above four levels in the combination group were higher than those in the control group （P＜0.05）. After treatment，the levels of HMGB1 and MCP-4 in the two groups decreased （P＜0.05）， while the levels of Alb and TF increased （P＜0.05） compared with those before treatment. The levels of HMGB1 and MCP-4 in the combination group were lower than those in the control group （P＜0.05）， and the levels of Alb and TF in the combination group were higher than those in the control group （P＜0.05）. After treatment， the WHOQOL-100 scores of the two groups were higher than those before treatment （P＜0.05）， and the WHOQOL-100 scores of the combination group were higher than those of the control group （P＜0.05）. Conclusion： Auricular point seed-pressing combined with external application of natrii sulfas can alleviate clinical symptoms， improve nutritional status， reduce abdominal pressure and circumference， promote gastrointestinal function recovery， and enhance quality of life in ICU patients with mechanical ventilation and abdominal distension.