What Causes Abdominal Distention?
Discussion
Constipation generally is defined as infrequent or painful defecation. It often is due to passing large hard stool infrequently which causes painful defecation and then withholding behaviors. As stool withholding continues, the rectum dilates and gradually accommodates with the normal defecation urge disappearing. Chronic rectal distension results in both loss of rectal sensitivity, and loss of urge to defecate, which can lead to encopresis. Abdominal distention because of stool retention occurs frequently. Treatment includes colonic evacuation, establishing regular bowel habits, eating a balanced diet with dietary fiber and laxatives to keep the stool soft and help promote the normal motility patterns. MiraLax is polyethylene glycol, an osmotic laxative often used to help with bowel evacuation and as a maintenance medication. The dose when used as a maintenance medication is 0.5 -1 gram/kg/day divided BID. The dose can be titrated to have one soft stool per day. The differential diagnosis of constipation can be reviewed here.
Abdominal distention is caused by some type of abdominal obstruction or space-occupying lesion that blocks or impinges on the intestinal lumen. This leads to failure of the intestinal contents to pass through the intestinal tract. Proximal to the obstruction is swallowed air and abdominal contents and secretions. The abdominal contents cannot move distal to the obstruction causing no flatus and bowel movements. If the obstruction is high in t...
Source: PediatricEducation.org - Category: Pediatrics Authors: pediatriceducationmin Tags: Uncategorized Source Type: news
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