title: Polyethylene glycol: a game-changer laxative for children.
abstract: Constipation is a common problem in children worldwide. It can also be a chronic problem persisting for many months to years. Successful treatment of constipation requires long-term use of laxatives. Commonly used laxatives in children include milk of magnesia, lactulose, mineral oil, and polyethylene glycol. Compared with other laxatives, polyethylene glycol (with and without electrolytes) is a relatively new laxative used during the last decade. Recent studies report excellent efficacy and safety of polyethylene glycol for the long-term treatment of constipation in children. Because of excellent patient acceptance, polyethylene glycol has become a preferred choice of laxative for many practitioners. This article reviews the recently published pediatric literature on biochemistry, efficacy, safety, patient acceptance, and pharmacoeconomics of polyethylene glycol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Arik
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alper
authors.forename: Dinesh S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Pashankar
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D003248:Constipation / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D054368:Laxatives / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D054368:Laxatives; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols