Movicol in treatment of constipation and faecal impaction

Systematic review and meta analysis: polyethylene glycol in adults with non-organic constipation

It is unclear how polyethylene glycol (PEG) laxatives compare with other classes of laxative in terms of efficacy. To assess efficacy of PEG vs. placebo and active comparators in adults with non-organic constipation. Text Word searches were carried out on MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials and Google Scholar databases covering the period January 1970 to October 2009. Search terms were (constipation) AND (randomised OR randomized) AND (PEG OR polyethylene OR macrogol OR movicol OR idrolax OR miralax OR transipeg OR forlax OR colyte OR golytely OR isocolan OR nulytely) NOT colonoscopy. Only published randomised controlled trials, with a parallel-group or cross-over design, comparing oral PEG with placebo or a comparator laxative in adults with a history of non-organic constipation, were included. The frequency of defaecation in each arm, on completion of the protocol-defined treatment duration was extracted. All pooled analyses were based on random effect models. Of the 20 qualifying studies, 10 were vs. placebo, seven were vs. lactulose, and four were vs. other agents. One study compared PEG, placebo and lactulose. PEG treatment resulted in a highly significant increase in defaecations/week over placebo (all studies: additional 1.98 stools/week; p = 0.0003, high-quality studies: additional 2.34 stools/week; p = 0.0001) and over lactulose (all studies: additional 1 stool/week; p = 0.0017, high-quality studies: additional 1.65 stools/week; p = 0.021). This meta analysis is the only quantitative statistical analysis to have been published in the field. PEG was found to be a more effective laxative than lactulose in adult patients with constipation.

Macrogol 3350 plus electrolytes for chronic constipation in children: a single-centre, open-label study

AIM

A Macrogol 3350-based, iso-osmotic laxative has become available for the treatment of chronic constipation in adults. This open-label, non-randomised study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of this preparation in the treatment of chronic constipation in children.

METHODS

Seventy-eight children, aged 2-11 years, with chronic constipation for greater than 3 months were enrolled. All children received Macrogol 3350 plus electrolytes for 12 weeks. The primary efficacy variable was the number of spontaneous defaecations per week. Secondary efficacy variables were faecal form, abdominal pain, rectal bleeding, pain on defaecation, straining, soiling, amount of stool, stool withholding and assessments of efficacy by the investigators and parents. Safety and compliance were also assessed.

RESULTS

The mean number of spontaneous defaecations per week increased from 1.4 +/- 0.55 (SD) at baseline to 6.8 +/- 3.45 after 14 days, and 7.1 +/- 3.45 at 12 weeks (P < 0.001). Similar improvements were found in the secondary efficacy variables. There was a significant reduction in reported abdominal pain from 53 (69%) children at baseline to 3 (4%) at the final visit (P < 0.0001). Similarly, 61 (79%) children had pain on defaecation at baseline, compared with 7 (9%) at the final visit (P < 0.0001). Treatment was well tolerated. Of 318 adverse events, 262 (82%) were considered mild, and 241 (76%) were deemed unrelated to treatment. Only 3 (4%) children were withdrawn because of poor compliance.

CONCLUSIONS

Macrogol 3350 plus electrolytes is a safe and effective treatment for constipation in children aged 2-11 years.

Management of constipation in palliative care patients undergoing opioid therapy: is polyethylene glycol an option?

This study assessed the efficacy of laxative use for treatment of constipation in patients receiving opioid therapy, with special attention to polyethylene glycol 3350/electrolyte solution (PEG-ES). Computerized data from 206 patients were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Subgroups were analyzed using confirmatory statistics. Constipation occurred in 42.7 percent of patients. Laxatives were administered to 74.3 percent of these patients using a standardized step scheme, with good results in 78.4 percent. As a therapy for constipation, the combined administration of PEG-ES, sodium picosulphate, and liquid paraffin proved most effective, although statistical analysis yielded no significance. Early use of PEG-ES using a step scheme holds promise for treatment of opioid-related constipation in palliative care patients, although further investigation is warranted.

Evaluation of polyethylene glycol plus electrolytes in the treatment of severe constipation and faecal impaction in adults

INTRODUCTION

Extreme and severe cases of constipation can lead to faecal impaction. Current therapies are often both ineffective and unpleasant. The objective of this trial was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Movicol, a polyethylene glycol (PEG) + electrolyte solution (PEG+E), as treatment for severe constipation and faecal impaction.

PATIENTS

56 patients (aged 17 to 88 years) with a history of chronic constipation and presenting with no bowel movement for three to four days (severe constipation), or no bowel movement for at least five days (faecal impaction), were enrolled at three centres in Taiwan. Faecal loading was confirmed in all patients by abdominal and rectal examination or abdominal radiography. Patients were excluded from the study if they had a gastrointestinal obstruction, evidence of delayed gastric emptying, or if their constipation was secondary to severe inflammatory bowel disease.

TREATMENT

All patients followed the same regimen: up to eight 13.8 g sachets of PEG+E (two at a time in 250 ml water; maximum of 1L/day) over a 4-6 h period each day, with 1-1.5 h between each dosing. Duration of treatment was for up to three days. EFFICACY ENDPOINTS AND RESULTS: Patients with either improvement (passage of a moderate to large volume of stool within four days of treatment initiation) or complete resolution (passage of moderate to large volumes of faecal matter plus the disappearance of palpable faecal masses in the abdomen and/or rectum) were considered responders. Based on bowel movement data recorded by the patients, an excellent response rate was obtained: 50/56 patients had a successful response to treatment (89.3%; 95% confidence intervals [CIs] 77.4% to 95.6%); there were 39 complete responders and 11 patients showed improvement. Investigator assessment of response was almost the same: 87.5% (95% CIs 75.3% to 94.4%). All bowel movement measurements (stool volume, number of evacuations, stool form and ease of evacuations) showed a positive improvement by Day 2. Median duration of treatment was two days. The incidence of adverse events was low, even for those side-effects such as abdominal pain and bloating, which are known undesirable consequences of PEG+E administration. No patient discontinued from the study because of an adverse event.

CONCLUSION

PEG+E, administered orally at a dose equivalent to eight 13.8 g sachets (1 L) per day over three days, was a highly effective and well tolerated therapy for the treatment of severe constipation and faecal impaction.

Chronic constipation in children: organic disorders are a major cause

Diagnostic tools for paediatric chronic constipation have been limited, leading to over 90% of patients with treatment-resistant constipation being diagnosed with chronic idiopathic constipation, with no discernible organic cause. Work in our institution suggests that a number of children with intractable symptoms actually have slow colonic transit leading to slow transit constipation. This paper reviews recent data suggesting that a significant number of the children with chronic treatment-resistant constipation may have organic causes (slow colonic transit and outlet obstruction) and suggests new approaches to the management of children with chronic treatment-resistant constipation.