title: Tap water and the Malone antegrade continence enema: a safe combination?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The Malone antegrade continence enema provides independence and improved quality of life in patients with fecal incontinence or intractable constipation. However, isolated reports of fatal hypernatremia after irrigation with normal saline have raised safety concerns about frequent colonic irrigation in children. Significant electrolyte abnormalities have also been reported with hypertonic phosphate and high colonic tap water enemas. Because our patients routinely use tap water for Malone antegrade continence enema irrigations, we examined the safety profile of this practice
  
  
  METHODS
  In the last 3.5 years 71 patients at our institution have used antegrade tap water enemas for managing fecal incontinence or intractable constipation. Standard serum electrolytes were measured
  
  
  RESULTS
  We obtained 101 sets of serum electrolyte measurements in 71 patients at a mean of 8.4 months postoperatively (range 1 to 33). A girl who presented with severe hyponatremia and hypochloremia had not used the Malone antegrade continence enema for several days. The most interesting finding was significantly elevated sodium and chloride in 1 case 6 weeks after surgery that was associated with tap water treated with a home softening system. Electrolytes reverted to normal 1 week after using untreated tap water
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We did not detect significant hyponatremia or hypochloremia in any patient using tap water for Malone antegrade continence enema irrigation. Although dangerous electrolyte abnormalities are rare, potential morbidity in those cases warrants periodic evaluation. Due to the elevated sodium content in softened tap water families should be alerted to use untreated tap water for preparing enemas.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Urology, Riley Hospital for Children, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA.
authors.forename: E B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Yerkes
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Rink
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cain
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaefer
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Casale
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D003248:Constipation / Q000628:therapy*; D004733:Enema / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D014867:Water / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014883:Water-Electrolyte Imbalance / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D014867:Water