A 61-year-old patient underwent endoscopic exploration for anemic syndrome. His medical history revealed that he had been taking a drug based on a mixture of medicinal herbs as laxative for nine years. This product consists of anthranoid-containing laxatives as aloe, senna, rhubarb, cascara and frangula. Endoscopy revealed diffuse dark brown pigmentation throughout his colon, which is compatibl...

Introduction. Constipation is a common, bothersome, and potentially dangerous condition among nursing home (NH) patients. Between 50 and 74% of NH patients use laxatives. Objective. To study prevalence and associations of laxative use and constipation using the comprehensive Norwegian version of the Resident Assessment Instrument for Long-Term Care Facilities. Methods. Cross-sectional study. Pa...

Chronic constipation is common in adults older than 60 years, and symptoms occur in up to 50% of nursing home residents. Primary constipation is also referred to as functional constipation. Secondary constipation is associated with chronic disease processes, medication use, and psychosocial issues. Fecal impaction should be treated with mineral oil or warm water enemas. Most patients are initia...

AIM The effect of muscular training, abdominal massage and diaphragmatic breathing was compared with medical treatment in a prospective randomized trial of patients with chronic functional constipation. METHOD Patients aged 4-18 years old with functional constipation according to the Rome III criteria were randomized to physiotherapy or medical treatment. In the physiotherapy group, exercises...

INTRODUCTION Eating disorders indicate unhealthy habits in nutrition and/or behaviour in the feeding and maintaining of body weight. The main characteristic of these diseases is changed behaviour in nutrition, either as an intentional restriction of food, namely extreme dieting or overeating, i.e. binge eating. Extreme dieting, skipping meals, self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, and misu...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Although multiple treatment options exist for the management of sigmoid colon volvulus, no study has examined the factors associated with successful endoscopic detorsion. This study aimed to examine the clinical course of patients with sigmoid colon volvulus and to identify factors related to successful endoscopic detorsion. METHODS This study included 30 cases (21 patients) o...

BACKGROUND/AIMS Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms are common among patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Our aim was to investigate the frequency of chronic GI symptoms in Korean patients with NIDDM. METHODS A cross-sectional survey, using a reliable and valid questionnaire, was performed in diabetes clinics from seven hospitals of the Catholic University of Korea. RES...

Constipation is a particularly troublesome complaint in the elderly yet it is usually considered to be a simple management issue. Therefore physicians' lack of interest in and inadequate training about the etiology of constipation may contribute to their inability to manage the problem of constipation effectively. Constipation can become a chronic problem, refractory to management, and most lik...

Constipation is a common and often debilitating condition in the elderly, which may be caused by underlying disease conditions, structural abnormalities in the bowel, and a variety of medications such as anticholinergics, antidepressants, and opiates. In this review, we focus on opioid-induced constipation (OIC), which is often underrecognized and undertreated in the elderly. When opioid therap...