ArticleBMC gastroenterology2020
Does sequential balloon expulsion test improve the screening of defecation disorders?
Article in BMC gastroenterology, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.
- High-resolution anorectal manometry profile in patients with chronic constipation versus control.Indian journal of gastroenterology : official journal of the Indian Society of Gastroenterology · 2026Article
- Characterization of Patients With Obstructed Defecation and Slow Transit Constipation With a Simulated Stool.Clinical and translational gastroenterology · 2021Article
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundA defecation disorder (DD) is a difficulty in evacuation documented by physiological exams. However, this physiological evaluation can be cumbersome, inaccessible and costly. Three "low-cost" tools to evaluate DD-a clinical DD score, the balloon expulsion test (BET) and a digital rectal examination (DRE) score were evaluated as separate or combined tests for DD screening.
methodsThis prospective study occurred between January 2015 and March 2019 in the Gastroenterology Department of a tertiary hospital. Besides the gold standard physiological tests, constipated patients answered the clinical DD score and were evaluated by DRE and BET [standard and variable volume (VV)].
resultsFrom 98 constipated patients, 35 (38.9%) were diagnosed with DD according to Rome IV criteria, mainly female (n = 30, 86%) with a median age of 60 years old. The clinical DD score revealed an AUC of 0.417 (SE = 0.07, p = 0.191). The DRE score displayed an AUC of 0.56 (SE = 0.063, p = 0.301). The standard BET displayed a sensitivity of 86%, specificity of 58%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 57% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 86%. The sequential VVBET followed by standard BET improved the BET performance regarding the evaluation of DD, with a sensitivity of 86%, specificity of 67%, PPV of 63% and NPV of 87%. The sequential BET had an OR 8.942, p > 0.001, CI 3.18-25.14, revealing to be the most significant predictor for DD screening.
conclusionThe sequential BET is a low cost, well-performing DD screening tool, appropriate to the Primary Care Setting.
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