Constipation in long-stay elderly patients: its treatment and prevention by lactulose, poloxalkol-dihydroxyanthroquinolone and phosphate enemas.
37 long-stay geriatric patients were studied. All had 80% transit time (TT) in excess of 6 days. Only an average of 23% of markers were passed by day 6 and 30% of patients still had markers in situ after 2 weeks. Three daily enemas had no effect on TT and three daily enemas together with a laxative for 6 days normalized TT in 40% only. A further 3 weeks of laxatives did not prevent constipation from getting worse. The effectiveness of lactulose and poloxalkol-dihydroxyanthroquinolone, respectively, were the same and better than no treatment.
D000368:Aged; D000880:Anthraquinones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002400:Cathartics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003248:Constipation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004187:Disaccharides / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D004733:Enema; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000188:drug therapy; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D007792:Lactulose / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D000880:Anthraquinones; D002400:Cathartics; D004187:Disaccharides; D004338:Drug Combinations; D010710:Phosphates; D007792:Lactulose; C004315:danthron