Abstract:OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether laxatives and fiber therapies improve symptoms and bowel movement frequency in adults with chronic constipation.
DATA SOURCES:English language studies were identified from computerized MEDLINE , Biological Abstracts (1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995), and Micromedex searches; bibliographies; textbooks; laxative manufacturers; and experts.STUDY SELECTION: Randomized trials of laxative or fiber therapies lasting more than 1 week that evaluated clinical outcomes in adults with chr… Show more
“…In the only meta-analysis of therapeutic trials, Tramonte et al 72 excluded 85% of 733 reports (not controlled), 11% for other reasons, and were able to evaluate 25 different treatments in 36 randomized trials. They concluded, "Both fiber and laxatives modestly improved bowel movement frequency in adults with chronic constipation.…”
“…In the only meta-analysis of therapeutic trials, Tramonte et al 72 excluded 85% of 733 reports (not controlled), 11% for other reasons, and were able to evaluate 25 different treatments in 36 randomized trials. They concluded, "Both fiber and laxatives modestly improved bowel movement frequency in adults with chronic constipation.…”
“…Adult patients suffering from chronic constipation are treated with fibre and laxatives as the first‐line therapeutic approach, but often there is only a slight improvement in bowel movements 25 . Furthermore, patients unresponsive to this treatment require a more accurate evaluation in a tertiary care clinic with consequently elevated economic costs 26 .…”
SUMMARY
BackgroundChronic constipation is common in the general population. Some studies have shown that in children cow's milk protein hypersensitivity can cause chronic constipation unresponsive to laxative treatment.
“…Tramonte et al's systematic review of this evidence found few properly designed studies that compare different bowel treatments with each other, head-to-head. 2 The data are particularly scant comparing low-tech and low-cost treatments, such as fiber and magnesium hydroxide, with high-tech and high-cost treatments, such as lactulose and cisapride. This review found little reason to continue the common practice of always ordering docusate when the patient complains of constipation.…”
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