Relief from behind: enemas, the back door enforcement to help treating chronic constipation in adults

Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2023 Oct 7. doi: 10.1080/17474124.2023.2267968. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTINTRODUCTION: Chronic constipation is a frequent symptom encountered in the daily clinical practice. The treatment of this condition mainly relies on the use of laxatives. However, patients' satisfaction with this approach is limited, and alternative measures are often added to the treatment. Among these, particularly frequent worldwide is the use of enemas, even though literature data on its scientific validity are scarce.AREAS COVERED: In this article, by an extensive online search of Medline (through PubMed), Scopus, Cochrane CENTRAL, EMBASE and the Science Citation Index, the available literature data on the use of enemas in adult patients with chronic constipation, also in the perspective of available guidelines on treatment of this pathological condition was analyzed.EXPERT OPINION: Although the use of enemas remains a frequently employed method and it is considered as useful by many physicians as an adjunctive support for the treatment of chronic constipation in adults, this practice is not substantiated by rigorous scientific data, and some studies are available only for specific instances (fecal impaction, transanal irrigation). Thus, waiting for more robust scientific data, enemas treatment should be carried out on an individual patient's basis, according to the experience of the caring physicians.PMID:37804131 | DOI:10.1080/17474124.2023.2267968
Source: Expert Review of Gastroenterology and Hepatology - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Source Type: research