ArticleJournal of clinical medicine2020
Proposed Criteria for Constipation in Palliative Care Patients. A Multicenter Cohort Study.
Article in Journal of clinical medicine, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed.
- Using 'Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation' Method in Palliative Care to Enhance Handover Quality and Nursing Practice: A Mix Method Study.Journal of clinical nursing · 2025Article
- Best Practices in End of Life and Palliative Care in the Emergency Department.Clinics in geriatric medicine · 2023Review
- The Underestimated and Overlooked Burden of Diarrhea and Constipation in Cancer Patients.Current oncology reports · 2022Review
- Constipation in Cancer Patients - an Update of Clinical Evidence.Current treatment options in oncology · 2022Review
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Although constipation is one of the most frequently reported symptoms in palliative care, there is no widely accepted definition of constipation and none suitable for patients unable to self-report or express symptoms. This study aimed to verify the objective and subjective symptoms of constipation to develop a diagnostic algorithm for constipation, which is also feasible in unconscious patients. In a pooled analysis of two observational studies, 369 out of 547 adult end-stage cancer patients met the inclusion criteria. The patient-reported difficulty of defecation correlated with observable measures, such as days since last bowel movement, and frequency of bowel movements. Difficulty became at least moderate when there were no bowel movements for ≥2 days, or the frequency of bowel movements was ≤3 per week. The diagnostic algorithm, comprising these three symptoms offers a simple, rapid, and comprehensive tool for palliative care, independent of the patient's state of consciousness. A clinical trial is necessary to confirm its validity and usefulness.
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