A clinical approach to constipation.
The economic impact of constipation is large. The condition prompts an estimated 2.5 million physician visits per year, with 100,000 referrals to gastroenterologists. Almost all (85%) of these physician visits result in a prescription for a laxative. Each year, American spend approximately $800 million on laxatives. For patients referred for diagnostic evaluation, the average cost is approximately $3000, mostly due to the cost of colonoscopy. This article discusses the pathophysiology of constipation and presents a practical approach to evaluating and treating this disorder.
Faigel
Douglas O
DO
Division of Gastroenterology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland VA Medical Center, Portland, Oregon, USA.
D002400:Cathartics; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003248:Constipation / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000191:economics / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D014481:United States
D002400:Cathartics