Tag Archives: chronic constipation

“Waste” of a CT Scan

Posted on by

M Alsayid, V Kotwal. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cgh.2021.06.030. Open Access: Chronic Constipation With Fecal Stasis

A 50 year old with a history of abdominal distention for a week and chronic constipation had a CT with intravenous contrast. Ultimately he had a disimpaction under general anesthesia and a flexible sigmoidoscopy.

My view: A complete examination with digital rectal exam (if feasible) or an AXR would have been sufficient for diagnosis.

Blog note: Link for We Can’t Wait App updated in yesterday’s post.

Should We Be Screening for Eating Disorders in Teenagers with Constipation?

Posted on by

HB Murray et al. Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 18: 2471-2478. Frequency of Eating Disorder Pathology Among Patients With Chronic Constipation and Contribution of Gastrointestinal-Specific Anxiety

Key findings:

  • In an analysis (n= 279 adults, 70% female, average age 47 years) of patients with chronic constipation at a tertiary center who were referred for anorectal manometry, 19% had symptoms consistent with an eating disorder; this assessment was based on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26).
  • “Gastrointestinal-specific anxiety fully mediated the relationship between the severity of ED pathology and constipation (standardized β, 0.11–0.16; P = .026–.024).”

The authors note that screening for eating disorders “is of particular importance before prescribing dietary interventions.”

My take: While this was a study with adults, it is likely that chronic constipation may be a presenting feature of an eating disorder in teenagers as well.