title: Constipation in children: avoiding hospital admissions by the use of a specialist community nurse.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review paediatric admissions with a primary diagnosis of constipation to see whether some could have been managed in the community instead.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of the medical notes of all patients admitted with a primary diagnosis of constipation to the children's ward of a district general hospital over a 12-month period.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 41 admissions (19 girls and 22 boys, age range 6 weeks to 12 years), the average length of stay was less than two nights.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The short duration of hospital stay implies rapid improvement. It is likely that many of these children could have been managed in the community if suitable resources, such as a community nurse specialising in constipation, were available.
authors.affiliation: Royal United Hospital, Bath.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bartle
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Finlay
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Atherton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002669:Child Welfare; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003152:Community Health Nursing / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards*; D003248:Constipation / Q000451:nursing* / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role; D009730:Nursing Assessment; D010343:Patient Admission; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013997:Time Factors