Constipation and soiling--outcome of treatment at one year.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the outcome at one year of a cohort of patients referred to outpatient clinics with soiling.


METHODS
Retrospective case note audit of 34 children referred to hospital outpatients over a four month period with soiling stated as the main problem in the referral letter.


RESULTS
After one year, 29% of the 34 children studied were discharged to patient satisfaction, 38% defaulted from follow up, 24% were still attending outpatient clinics and 9% had been referred back to source. Coexisting pathologies, in particular enuresis and family stress, were found in several of the children. At the time of referral, 44% of new patients and 89% of re-referrals bad symptoms present for longer than 12 months. Only 18% of the children were receiving treatment at the time referral was made.


CONCLUSIONS
Constipation is often undiagnosed until the problem is well established with soiling present, which makes treatment a long and often difficult process. It is necessary to consider the wider social and family issues when managing a child with constipation and soiling. Hospital based general medical and surgical outpatient clinics may not be the ideal setting in which to deal with these problems.
Department of Community Child Health, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill NHS Trust, Glasgow.
L A B
LA
McDonald
A C
AC
Rennie
D M
DM
Tappin
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003248:Constipation / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D004688:Encopresis / Q000628:therapy*; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome