title: Long-term effects of transabdominal electrical stimulation in treating children with slow-transit constipation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Transcutaneous electrical stimulation (TES) was used to treat children with slow-transit constipation (STC) for 1 to 2 months in a randomized controlled trial during 2006 to 2008. We aimed to determine long-term outcomes, hypothesizing that TES produced sustained improvement.
  
  
  METHODS
  Physiotherapists administered 1 to 2 months of TES to 39 children (20 minutes, 3 times a week). Fifteen continued to self-administer TES (30 minutes daily for more than 2 months). Mean long-term follow-up of 30 of 39 patients was conducted using questionnaire review 3.5 years (range 1.9-4.7 years) later. Outcomes were evaluated by confidence intervals or paired t test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seventy-three percent of patients perceived improvement, lasting more than 2 years in 33% and less than 6 months in 25% to 33%. Defecation frequency improved in 30%. Stools got wetter in 62% after stimulation and then drier again. Soiling improved in 75% and abdominal pain in 59%. Laxative use stopped in 52%, and 43% with appendicostomies stopped washouts. Soiling/Holschneider continence score improved in 81% (P = .0002). Timed sits switched to urge-initiated defecations in 80% patients. Eighty percent of relapsed patients elected to have home stimulation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TES holds promise for STC children. Improvement occurred in two thirds of children, lasting more than 2 years in one third, whereas symptoms recurred after 6 months in one third of children.
authors.affiliation: Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC 3052, Australia.
authors.forename: Leanne C Y
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Leong
authors.forename: Yee Ian
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Yik
authors.forename: Anthony G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Catto-Smith
authors.forename: Val J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hutson
authors.forename: Bridget R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Southwell
mesh_terms: D015746:Abdominal Pain / Q000209:etiology; D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003248:Constipation / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D003672:Defecation; D004688:Encopresis / Q000209:etiology; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005772:Gastrointestinal Transit; D006701:Home Nursing; D006801:Humans; D054368:Laxatives / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012008:Recurrence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D004561:Transcutaneous Electric Nerve Stimulation
chemical_list: D054368:Laxatives