title: Managing constipation in a pediatric patient: it is more than a simple problem.
abstract: The purpose of this article is to illustrate the complexities of care of a toddler with constipation. When a child presents to the primary care clinic, there is the child, the significant caregiver(s), and the family as the patients. Hence, what may appear on the surface as an easy to manage (and therefore quick) problem may not be so. In today's productivity cost-driven health care system, the primary care provider is challenged to provide comprehensive safe care. Rationale and evidence link the elements of the case to demonstrate that this is not such a simple problem.
authors.affiliation: Division of Family Health Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, 78701, USA. eabel@mail.utexas.edu
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Abel
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003248:Constipation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010347:Patient Care Planning
chemical_list: D005765:Gastrointestinal Agents