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Methylnaltrexone for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation and gastrointestinal stasis in intensive care patients. Results from the MOTION trial

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Patel, Parind B. , Brett, Stephen J., O'Callaghan, David, Anjum, Aisha, Cross, Mary, Warwick, Jane and Gordon, Anthony C. (2020) Methylnaltrexone for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation and gastrointestinal stasis in intensive care patients. Results from the MOTION trial. Intensive Care Medicine, 46 . pp. 747-755. doi:10.1007/s00134-019-05913-6

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Official URL: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-019-05913-6

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Abstract

Purpose:
Constipation can be a significant problem in critically unwell patients, associated with detrimental outcomes. Opioids are thought to contribute to the mechanism of bowel dysfunction. We tested if methylnaltrexone, a pure peripheral mu-opioid receptor antagonist, could reverse opioid-induced constipation.

Methods:
The MOTION trial is a multi-centre, double blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial to investigate whether methylnaltrexone alleviates opioid-induced constipation (OIC) in critical care patients. Eligibility criteria included adult ICU patients who were mechanically ventilated, receiving opioids and were constipated (had not opened bowels for a minimum 48 h) despite prior administration of regular laxatives as per local bowel management protocol. The primary outcome was time to significant rescue-free laxation. Secondary outcomes included gastric residual volume, tolerance of enteral feeds, requirement for rescue laxatives, requirement for prokinetics, average number of bowel movements per day, escalation of opioid dose due to antagonism/reversal of analgesia, incidence of ventilator-associated pneumonia, incidence of diarrhoea and Clostridium difficile infection and finally 28 day, ICU and hospital mortality.

Results:
A total of 84 patients were enrolled and randomized (41 to methylnaltrexone and 43 to placebo). The baseline demographic characteristics of the two groups were generally well balanced. There was no significant difference in time to rescue-free laxation between the groups (Hazard ratio 1.42, 95% CI 0.82–2.46, p = 0.22). There were no significant differences in the majority of secondary outcomes, particularly days 1–3. However, during days 4–28, there were fewer median number of bowel movements per day in the methylnaltrexone group, (p = 0.01) and a greater incidence of diarrhoea in the placebo group (p = 0.02). There was a marked difference in mortality between the groups, with ten deaths in the methylnaltrexone group and two in the placebo group during days 4–28 (p = 0.007).

Conclusion:
We found no evidence to support the addition of methylnaltrexone to regular laxatives for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in critically ill patients; however, the confidence interval was wide and a clinically important difference cannot be excluded.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: R Medicine > RC Internal medicine
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences > Clinical Trials Unit
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Constipation -- Treatment, Opioids -- Receptors, Clinical trials -- Methodology
Journal or Publication Title: Intensive Care Medicine
Publisher: Springer
ISSN: 0342-4642
Official Date: 3 February 2020
Dates:
DateEvent
3 February 2020Published
22 December 2019Accepted
Date of first compliant deposit: 10 January 2020
Volume: 46
Page Range: pp. 747-755
DOI: 10.1007/s00134-019-05913-6
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Publisher Statement: This is a post-peer-review, pre-copyedit version of an article published in Intensive Care Medicine. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00134-019-05913-6
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
PB-PG-0613-31073Research for Patient Benefit Programmehttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100009128
RP-2015-06-018[NIHR] National Institute for Health Researchhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000272
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