Skip to content Skip to navigation
University of Warwick
  • Study
  • |
  • Research
  • |
  • Business
  • |
  • Alumni
  • |
  • News
  • |
  • About

University of Warwick
Publications service & WRAP

Highlight your research

  • WRAP
    • Home
    • Search WRAP
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse WRAP by Year
    • Browse WRAP by Subject
    • Browse WRAP by Department
    • Browse WRAP by Funder
    • Browse Theses by Department
  • Publications Service
    • Home
    • Search Publications Service
    • Browse by Warwick Author
    • Browse Publications service by Year
    • Browse Publications service by Subject
    • Browse Publications service by Department
    • Browse Publications service by Funder
  • Help & Advice
University of Warwick

The Library

  • Login
  • Admin

Trans-anal irrigation therapy to treat adult chronic functional constipation: systematic review and meta-analysis.

Tools
- Tools
+ Tools

Emmett, Christopher D., Close, Helen J., Yiannakou, Yan and Mason, James (2015) Trans-anal irrigation therapy to treat adult chronic functional constipation: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Gastroenterology, 15 . 139. doi:10.1186/s12876-015-0354-7

Research output not available from this repository, contact author.
Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12876-015-0354-7

Request Changes to record.

Abstract

Background:
Trans-anal irrigation (TAI) is used widely to treat bowel dysfunction, although evidence for its use in adult chronic functional constipation remains unclear. Long-term outcome data are lacking, and the effectiveness of therapy in this patient group is not definitively known.
Methods:
Evidence for effectiveness and safety was reviewed and the quality of studies was assessed. Primary research articles of patients with chronic functional constipation, treated with TAI as outpatients and published in English in indexed journals were eligible. Searching included major bibliographical databases and search terms: bowel dysfunction, defecation, constipation and irrigation. Fixed- and random-effect meta-analyses were performed.
Results:
Seven eligible uncontrolled studies, including 254 patients, of retrospective or prospective design were identified. The definition of treatment response varied and was investigator-determined. The fixed-effect pooled response rate (the proportion of patients with a positive outcome based on investigator-reported response for each study) was 50.4 % (95 % CI: 44.3–56.5 %) but featured substantial heterogeneity (I2 = 67.1 %). A random-effects estimate was similar: 50.9 % (95 % CI: 39.4–62.3 %). Adverse events were inconsistently reported but were commonplace and minor.
Conclusions:
The reported success rate of irrigation for functional constipation is about 50 %, comparable to or better than the response seen in trials of pharmacological therapies. TAI is a safe treatment benefitting some patients with functional constipation, which is a chronic refractory condition. However findings for TAI vary, possibly due to varying methodology and context. Well-designed prospective trials are required to improve the current weak evidence base.

Item Type: Journal Article
Divisions: Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School > Health Sciences
Faculty of Medicine > Warwick Medical School
Journal or Publication Title: BMC Gastroenterology
Publisher: BioMed Central Ltd.
ISSN: 1471-230X
Official Date: 16 December 2015
Dates:
DateEvent
16 December 2015Published
22 September 2015Accepted
Volume: 15
Article Number: 139
DOI: 10.1186/s12876-015-0354-7
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Open Access

Request changes or add full text files to a record

Repository staff actions (login required)

View Item View Item
twitter

Email us: wrap@warwick.ac.uk
Contact Details
About Us