Disimpaction of children with severe constipation in 3-4 days in a suburban clinic using polyethylene glycol with electrolytes and sodium picosulphate

Efficacy of Home-Based Versus Hospital-Based Disimpaction with Polyethylene Glycol in Pediatric Functional Constipation: A Randomized Control Study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Functional constipation (FC) is the most common cause of childhood constipation. Children with FC and fecal impaction need to undergo disimpaction. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is commonly used for disimpaction either in a hospital setting as a continuous lavage or in a home-based setting over 3-6 days. Randomized control trials comparing the two regimens are not available. The study objectives were to compare the efficacy, side effects, cost-effectiveness, and parental satisfaction of home- and hospital-based disimpaction.

METHODS

Consecutive children attending our hospital (age: 1-18 years) and diagnosed to have FC as per ROME IV and requiring disimpaction were enrolled. Fecal impaction was established clinically (per-abdomen or per-rectal examination) or radiologically (X-ray abdomen- Barr criteria). Stratified block randomization was done. PEG was administered accordingly in a hospital-based or a home-based setting. The side effects, patient acceptability as per the treatment satisfaction questionnaire for medications (TSQM) and cost incurred were noted.

RESULTS

One hundred and fifteen children (hospital-based [n = 58], home-based [n = 57]) were enrolled. Successful disimpaction in hospital- and home-based disimpaction arm was 100% and 94.7%, respectively (p = 0.12). Vomiting (27.6% vs 5.3%, p = 0.001) and abdominal distension (31% vs 3.5%, p < 0.001) were higher in patients undergoing hospital-based disimpaction. Cost of treatment was higher in hospital-based disimpaction arm (INR 6,250 [2,228-15,585] vs INR 3,355 [850-18,350], p = < 0.001). Parental satisfaction was greater in home-based disimpaction.

CONCLUSIONS

Home-based disimpaction using PEG is as effective as hospital-based disimpaction. Disimpaction in a friendlier home environment, at a lower cost and with fewer side effects makes home-based disimpaction preferable in children.

The ten "hard" questions in pediatric functional constipation

Functional constipation is a common problem in childhood and has a great impact on social, physical, and emotional functioning of affected children and their caregivers. No organic cause of the constipation can be found in approximately 95% of children, defining the "so-called" chronic functional constipation. Its prevalence has been reported to range from 0.7 to 29.6%, with a median of 12%. The diagnosis of functional constipation is exclusively clinical based on the pediatric diagnostic Rome criteria for functional gastrointestinal disorders and does not routinely require laboratory and/or radiological investigations. In case of alarm signs and symptoms that may suggest organic diseases, further investigations can be required. The therapeutic management is based on non-pharmacological and pharmacological approaches. Education, demystification of constipation and reward-based toilet training represent the cornerstones of nonpharmacological management. Disimpaction, maintenance treatment and weaning of medication are all elements of pharmacological treatment. Osmotic laxatives, mainly polyethylene glycol (PEG), are considered the first-choice laxative for both disimpaction and maintenance treatment. The aim of this review is to provide pediatric gastroenterologists with a practical tool to support the clinical and therapeutic management of children and adolescents affected by chronic functional constipation.

Diagnostic and therapeutic approach to children with chronic refractory constipation: Consensus report by the SIGENP motility working group

Constipation is a common problem in children, accounting for about 3% of all primary care visits and up to 25% of referrals to paediatric gastroenterologists. Although polyethylene glycol often proves effective, most children require prolonged treatment and about 50% of them have at least one relapse within the first 5 years after initial recovery. When conventional treatment fails, children are considered to have refractory constipation. Children with refractory constipation deserve specialist management and guidance. Over the last decades, there has been a remarkable increase in our knowledge of normal and abnormal colonic and anorectal motility in children, and a number of different techniques to measure transit and motility have been developed. The present review analyses the possible diagnostic investigations for children with refractory constipation, focusing on their actual indications and their utility in clinical practice. Moreover, we have also analytically reviewed medical and surgical therapeutic options, which should be considered in selected patients in order to achieve the best clinical outcome.

An Update of Pharmacological Management in Children with Functional Constipation

Functional constipation is a common problem in childhood worldwide and has a great impact on social, physical, and emotional functioning of affected children and their caregivers. It is a clinical diagnosis based on the Rome IV criteria. Non-pharmacological treatment involves education, demystification, lifestyle advice, and toilet training. Pharmacological treatment consists of disimpaction, maintenance treatment, and eventually weaning if possible. Polyethylene glycol is considered as the first choice of laxative for both disimpaction and maintenance treatment. Different osmotic laxatives, stimulant laxatives, lubricants, and enemas are available as alternative pharmacological treatment options. Novel drugs are emerging but evidence to support the widespread application of these drugs in the pediatric population is often lacking and more high-quality research is needed in this field. If children remain symptomatic despite optimal pharmacological treatment, botulinum toxin injections in the anal sphincter can be considered as an alternative, more invasive treatment option. This review provides an update on currently available literature concerning the pharmacologic treatment of functional constipation in children.

Utilisation and Safety of Polyethylene Glycol 3350 With Electrolytes in Children Under 2 Years: A Retrospective Cohort

OBJECTIVES

In the UK, Movicol paediatric plain (polyethylene glycol 3350 with electrolytes [PEG 3350+E], Norgine, UK), is licensed for chronic constipation in children 2 -11 years of age and faecal impaction (FI) from 5 years. This study aimed to investigate usage and characterise the risk profile in children under 2 years of age using PEG 3350+E in the UK.

METHODS

Retrospective, single exposure cohort study, with patients identified from Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) GOLD. Patients first prescribed PEG 3350+E under 2 years of age for the treatment of constipation or FI, between September 2003 and July 2019, were included.

RESULTS

There were 13,235 patients with a constipation indication and 40 patients with FI. For the constipation cohort: median age of PEG 3350+E first prescription was 1.2 years [interquartile range (IQR) 0.9, 1.6] and 68.4% had one treatment episode (TE). The mean duration of exposure, in the first TE, was 88.9 days. The most common total daily dose was one sachet (6.9 g).In terms of incident events on treatment, 0.5% of patients had abdominal pain, 3.0% had diarrhoea (may be attributed to treatment) and 4.1% had vomiting. 2.0% had signs/symptoms which could (in extreme cases) be associated with electrolyte disturbance, however, none had abnormal electrolyte values.

DISCUSSION

The safety aspect of this study did not identify any signals of concern in the constipation cohort. The number of patients in the FI cohort were too small for robust conclusions. If information were available, then a safety study would ideally assess treatment intake per kilogram, including electrolyte intake, before reaching safety conclusions. Nevertheless, these data contribute to real-world evidence on the use of PEG 3350+E in this population.

Polyethylene Glycol Plus Electrolytes with Stimulant Laxative in Paediatric Faecal Disimpaction: A Randomised Controlled Study

Functional constipation is common in the paediatric population all over the world. Effective disimpaction to evacuate the impacted faecal matter forms an essential initial step in the management of constipation. Though different regimens of polyethylene glycol 3350 with electrolytes (PEG+E) are accepted as the prime medication for disimpaction, response is not always satisfactory. A randomised prospective study was undertaken, in a tertiary paediatric Gastroenterology centre to find out the outcome of a 2-day disimpaction when a stimulant laxative sodium picosulphate was added to PEG3350+E (PEG+E+PS group) and comparing it with the outcome using PEG3350+E (PEG+E group) alone. Hundred and one children were randomised into two groups to receive PEG+E+PS and PEG+E. Results revealed that PEG+E+PS group proved significantly superior to PEG+E group in most of the efficacy-parameters in terms of disimpaction as well as long-term management of constipation. Though stimulant laxatives are being used for disimpaction, comparative data are lacking. This was the 1st such comparative study looking at the efficacy of these two processes of disimpaction along with long term effect on treatment.

Treatment of fecal impaction in children using combined polyethylene glycol and sodium picosulphate

Background and Aim

Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is the gold standard for fecal disimpaction in constipation. A regimen of PEG combined with the stimulant laxative sodium picosulphate (SPS) produced fecal disimpaction in chronically constipated children in the community, but it is unknown if it is effective for more severe constipation. To determine the stool output and effect of a combined PEG and SPS regimen on fecaloma in children with severe constipation and impaction.

Methods

Children with symptoms for a duration of ≥2 years, a palpable fecaloma, and enlarged rectum on X-ray (rectal: pelvic ratio > 0.6) were recruited from a tertiary hospital. Daily diaries recorded laxative dose, stool frequency, volume, and consistency (Bristol stool scale, BSS). Abdominal X-rays were taken on day 1 and day 8, and stool loading was assessed using the Leech score. Laxative doses were based on the child's age. The dose of PEG with electrolytes taken was 2-8 sachets (14.7 g/sachet) on days 1-2, reducing to 2-6 sachets on day 3. The SPS dose was 15-20 drops on days 2-3.

Results

Eighty-nine children (4-18 years) produced a large volume of soft stool (median/inter-quartile-range: 2.2/1.6-3.1 L) over 7 days. Stool volume on X-rays decreased significantly in the colon (P < 0.001). Fecalomas resolved in 40 of 89 children, while 49 needed a second high dose. Rectal:pelvic ratios did not change.

Conclusions

A combined high dose of PEG and SPS on days 1 and 2 was effective in removing the fecaloma in half of the children. Administering high doses for a longer period should be tested to provide outpatient disimpaction for severe fecalomas. Rectums remained flaccid after emptying.

Clinical Characteristics of Children Needing Inpatient Treatment after Failed Outpatient Treatment for Fecal Impaction

PURPOSE

Treatment of chronic constipation and fecal impaction is usually outpatient and requires high or frequent doses of laxatives. However, there are children who fail outpatient treatments, sometimes repeatedly, and are ultimately hospitalized. We sought to compare the characteristics of the children who failed outpatient treatment and needed inpatient treatment vs those who achieved success with outpatient treatment, in an effort to identify attributes that might be associated with a higher likelihood towards hospitalization.

METHODS

In this retrospective cohort study, we reviewed the medical records of all patients aged 0 to 21 years, with chronic functional constipation and fecal impaction seen in the pediatric gastroenterology clinic over a period of 2 years.

RESULTS

Total of 188 patients met inclusion criteria. While 69.2% were successfully treated outpatient (referred to as the outpatient group), 30.9% failed outpatient treatment and were hospitalized (referred to as the inpatient group). The characteristics of the inpatient group including age at onset of 3.6±3.6 years (p=0.02); black ethnicity (odds ratio [OR] 4.31, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.04-9.09); p<0.001); prematurity (OR 2.39, 95% CI 1.09-5.26; p=0.02]; developmental delay (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.12-4.33; p=0.02); overflow incontinence (OR 2.26, 95% CI 1.12-4.53, p=0.02); picky eating habits (OR 2.02, 95% CI 1.00-4.08; p=0.04); number of ROME III criteria met: median 4, interquartile range 3-5 (p=0.04) and 13±13.7 constipation related prior encounters (p=0.001), were significantly different from the outpatient group.

CONCLUSION

Identification of these characteristics may be helpful in anticipating challenges and potential barriers to effective outpatient treatment.

Use of polyethylene glycol in functional constipation and fecal impaction

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to evaluate in an analytical and descriptive manner the evidence published so far on the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG), with or without electrolytes, in the management of functional constipation and the treatment of fecal impaction.

METHODOLOGY

Search on MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane databases until May 2016 of all publications adjusted to the following terms: constipation AND/OR fecal impaction AND (PEG OR polyethylene glycol OR macrogol OR movicol OR idralax OR miralax OR transipeg OR forlax OR golytely OR isocolan OR mulytely) NOT colonoscopy. Critical reading of selected articles (English or Spanish), sorting their description according to group age (adult/pediatric age) and within those, in accordance with study features (efficacy evaluation versus placebo, doses query, safety, comparison with other laxatives, observational studies and monographic review articles of polyethylene glycol or meta-analysis).

RESULTS

Fifty-eight publications have been chosen for descriptive analysis; of them, 41 are clinical trials, eight are observational studies and nine are systematic reviews or meta-analysis. Twelve clinical trials evaluate PEG efficacy versus placebo, eight versus lactulose, six are dose studies, five compare polyethylene glycol with and without electrolytes, two compare its efficacy with respect to milk of magnesia, and the rest of the trials evaluate polyethylene glycol with enemas (two), psyllium (one), tegaserod (one), prucalopride (one), paraffin oil (one), fiber combinations (one) and Descurainia sophia (one).

CONCLUSIONS

Polyethylene glycol with or without electrolytes is more efficacious than placebo for the treatment of functional constipation, either in adults or in pediatric patients, with great safety and tolerability. These preparations constitute the most efficacious osmotic laxatives (more than lactulose) and are the first-line treatment for functional constipation in the short and long-term. They are as efficacious as enemas in fecal impaction, avoid the need for hospital admission and are well tolerated by patients (mainly when administered without electrolytes).