title: Constipation and its implications in the critically ill patient.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Motility of the lower gut has been little studied in intensive care patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively studied constipation in an intensive care unit of a university hospital, and conducted a national survey to assess the generalizability of our findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Constipation occurred in 83% of the patients. More constipated patients (42.5%) failed to wean from mechanical ventilation than non-constipated patients (0%), P<0.05. The median length of stay in intensive care and the proportion of patients who failed to feed enterally were greater in constipated than non-constipated patients (10 vs 6.5 days and 27.5 vs 12.5%, respectively (NS)). The survey found similar observations in other units. Delays in weaning from mechanical ventilation and enteral feeding were reported by 28 and 48% of the units surveyed, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Constipation has implications for the critically ill.
authors: Intensive Therapy Unit, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool, L7 8XP, UK. Fred.Mostafa@rlbuht.nhs.uk
authors: S M
authors: SM
authors: Mostafa
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Bhandari
authors: G
authors: G
authors: Ritchie
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Gratton
authors: R
authors: R
authors: Wenstone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003248:Constipation / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D003422:Critical Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000628:therapy*; D004750:Enteral Nutrition; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D008485:Medical Audit; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology; D015300:Ventilator Weaning