title: Random control trial of hot compresses for women those who used laxatives on severity of constipation and quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of hot compresses for constipation and quality of life (QOL), with a focus on taking laxatives.
  
  
  METHODS
  Meeting the inclusion criteria were 60 women, who had taken over-the-counter laxatives for constipation. Sixty women were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 30) or control (n = 30) group. The study period was 4 weeks: the first 2 weeks (baseline) without intervention and the last 2 weeks (intervention) with heat stimulus using a commercially available thermic sheet (40°C). Women affixed the sheet to the lumbar area with the Jacoby line in the center immediately after waking and were instructed to remove the sheet after 5 h during the intervention period every day. During the intervention, women recorded their daily defecation and completed the Constipation Assessment Scale (CAS), Constipation QOL 15 (CQ), and 36 Item Short Form Survey.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The author excluded incomplete records and study protocol deviations; as a result, a total of 39 subjects (21 hot compresses group, 18 control group) was used for the analysis. Significant improvement was seen in days of defecation and the number of defecations per week for the intervention group. Significant improvement was also seen in physical and psychological subcategory of CQ15. No significant differences were found in the amount of laxatives used.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lumbar application of a 40°C hot compresses in female adults with constipation improved their conditions of defecation and QOL, even though it did not reduce the amount of laxatives.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, Faculty of Medicine, Oita University, Oita, Japan.
authors.forename: Izumi
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kira
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003248:Constipation / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D054368:Laxatives; D011788:Quality of Life; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D054368:Laxatives
keywords: constipation; defecation; laxatives; nursing care; quality of life