Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Editorials

Constipation and its management

BMJ 2003; 327 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.327.7413.459 (Published 28 August 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;327:459

Rapid Response:

Think before prescribing Laxatives

Dear Sir,

Always ask a patient exactly what he means by 'constipation'. There are
various formal definitions of constipation but the infrequent passage of
stool (<_3 xmlns:eg="urn:x-prefix:eg" times="times" weekly="weekly" or="or" difficulty="difficulty" in="in" defecation="defecation" is="is" a="a" reasonably="reasonably" practical="practical" definition.="definition." i="i" have="have" seen="seen" elderly="elderly" patients="patients" on="on" narcotic="narcotic" analgesics="analgesics" eg:codiene="eg:codiene" for="for" arthritis="arthritis" which="which" the="the" main="main" culprit="culprit" constipation.="constipation." p="p"/>Hospitals and other adverse environments like lack of privacy, immobility,
being forced to use a bed pan, unable to obey calls to stool, dehydration,
diet deficient in roughage are the common causes for constipation.

I would prefer looking at these things rather than prescribing laxatives.

Competing interests:  
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

02 September 2003
Sandeep Buddha
Senior House Officer
Prince Charles Hospital, Merthyr Tydfil, CF47 9DT