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The Half Empty Glass: Rumination Outcomes

January 29, 2018 7:00 am

Briefly noted:

A Alioto, C DiLorenzo. JPGN 2018; 66: 21-25. In this study based on patient follow-up questionnaires, among 47 adolescents with rumination syndome who received inpatient treatment, Key findings:

~20% reported complete cessation of rumination for at least 6 months; though, even in this group, 73% had at least some recurrent symptoms.
40% reported a reduction in rumination intensity following discharge and ~80% reported having at least one day with no rumination.
Triggers for recurrence of rumination symptoms included stress (51.4%), illness (27%), menstruation (10.8%), and certain foods (18.9%).
Treatment of rumination syndrome helped eliminate the need for supplemental tube feedings in the “vast majority of patients.”

One important limitation of this study is the patient selection; this group of inpatients with rumination syndrome at a specialized center likely had more severe rumination syndrome.

My take: Like many GI conditions, the expectation for rumination syndrome should probably be improvement/management rather than resolution/cure.