Polyethylene glycol 4000 treatment for children with constipation: A randomized comparative multicenter study

Wang,Yishi; Wang,Baoxi; Jiang,Xun; Jiang,Mizu; Xu,Chundi; Shao,Caihong; Jia,Liying; Huang,Zhihua; Xu,Xiaohua; Liu,Hua; Shang,Lei

doi:10.3892/etm.2012.491

May 2012 Volume 3 Issue 5

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May 2012 Volume 3 Issue 5

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Article

Polyethylene glycol 4000 treatment for children with constipation: A randomized comparative multicenter study

Authors:
- Yishi Wang
- Baoxi Wang
- Xun Jiang
- Mizu Jiang
- Chundi Xu
- Caihong Shao
- Liying Jia
- Zhihua Huang
- Xiaohua Xu
- Hua Liu
- Lei Shang
View Affiliations / Copyright

Affiliations: Department of Pediatrics, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, P.R. China, The Children's Hospital, School of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310003, P.R. China, Rui Jin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai 200025, P.R. China, The Children's Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, P.R. China, Capital Institute of Pediatrics, Beijing 100020, P.R. China, Tong Ji Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Science and Technology, Huazhong University, Wuhan 430030, P.R. China, Tianjin Children's Hospital, Tianjin 300074, P.R. China, Department of Pediatrics, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS, USA, Department of Health Statistics, Faculty of Preventive Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, P.R. China
Pages: 853-856
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Published online on: February 17, 2012

https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2012.491
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Abstract

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of polyethylene glycol 4000 (PEG 4000) for the treatment of constipation in children over 8 years of age. A total of 216 children from 7 hospitals were enrolled. A total of 105 patients received oral PEG 4000 (20 g/day) and 111 patients received oral lactulose (15 ml/day) for 2 weeks. The stool frequency, stool consistency and abdominal pain of the patients were monitored. In the PEG group, following one week and two weeks of treatment, the median weekly stool frequency improved from 2 times prior to treatment to 6 and 7 times, respectively, following treatment. The clinical remission rates of the PEG and lactulose groups following one week of treatment were 70.48 and 39.64%, respectively, and following two weeks of treatment were 72.38 and 41.44%, respectively. Abdominal pain disappeared in 74.6% of patients following two weeks of PEG 4000 treatment. No significant clinical adverse effects or abnormalities in the laboratory tests were observed in the two treatment groups. In conclusion, PEG 4000 is a safe and more effective drug compared to lactulose for the treatment of constipation in children.

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Journals

International Journal of Molecular Medicine

International Journal of Oncology

Molecular Medicine Reports

Oncology Reports

Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine

Oncology Letters

Biomedical Reports

Molecular and Clinical Oncology

World Academy of Sciences Journal

International Journal of Functional Nutrition

International Journal of Epigenetics

Medicine International

Polyethylene glycol 4000 treatment for children with constipation: A randomized comparative multicenter study

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