SynthesisBMJ paediatrics open2025
Faecal impaction in children aged 0-18 years: a systematic review and metanarrative analysis of definitions used.
Synthesis in BMJ paediatrics open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition/North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition guidelines for treatment of functional constipation in children aged 0-18 years.Journal of pediatric gastroenterology and nutrition · 2026Guideline
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundFaecal impaction is the result of functional constipation in the majority of cases. Surprisingly, a uniform definition for the term faecal impaction is lacking, leading to heterogeneity across study results.
aimTo conduct a metanarrative systematic review to ascertain how trial studies define faecal impaction among children aged 0-18 years with functional constipation.
methodsWe conducted a systematic metanarrative review to uncover what criteria are used to define faecal impaction and to recommend directions for creating a globally accepted definition. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using prominent databases, including CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase, WHO ICTR (international clinical trials registry) and ClinicalTrials.gov. All relevant publications of RCTs on both faecal impaction and functional constipation from inception to June 2024, including children aged 0-18 years without underlying organic aetiology, were included.
results6211 studies were screened, of which 155 were reviewed for eligibility, 76 were included in the review and five are awaiting classification. Seven studies gave an explicit definition, with three referencing a previous consensus definition. 45 studies gave an implicit definition derived from their prescreening or exclusion criteria in a larger piece of research. Clinical assessment was the most common element of definitions, with a mixture of abdominal or rectal assessments reported in 44 studies. A further six studies suggested such clinical assessments are combined with radiographs, and one study reported a definition using radiographs alone. One study reported the duration of symptoms in a definition.
conclusionThere is a clear lack of consensus for defining faecal impaction in children with functional constipation. Despite the clinical, diagnostic and prognostic importance of having a unified definition of faecal impaction, currently there seems to be no universally accepted definition.
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Registered trials
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