Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40566695›Full record

ArticleAlimentary pharmacology & therapeutics2025

Expert Position Statement: Defining the Role of Intestinal Ultrasound in Assessing Constipation and Faecal Loading.

Ryan M Mathias, Thomas M Goodsall, Claire E Parker, Alice S Day, Yoon K An, Brandon Baraty, Chamara Basnayake, Jakob Begun, Ray K Boyapati, Rebecca Burgell and 10 more

Abstract readConsensus Statement
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Alimentary pharmacology & therapeutics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors.

Ryan M MathiasInflammatory Bowel Disease Service, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8838-9721
Thomas M GoodsallDepartment of Gastroenterology, Inflammatory Bowel Disease Service, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia.
Claire E ParkerAlimentiv Inc. London, London, Ontario, Canada.
Alice S DayInflammatory Bowel Disease Service, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4905-5056
Yoon K AnDepartment of Gastroenterology, Mater Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Brandon BaratyDepartment of Gastroenterology and Liver Services, Concord Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Chamara BasnayakeDepartment of Gastroenterology, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6103-769X
Jakob BegunDepartment of Gastroenterology, Mater Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5256-7672
Ray K BoyapatiDepartment of Gastroenterology, Monash Health, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
Rebecca BurgellDepartment of Gastroenterology, Central Clinical School, Monash University and Alfred Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Michael T DolingerDivision of Pediatric Gastroenterology, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, USA.
Giovanni MaconiDepartment of Biomedical and Clinical Science, Gastroenterology Unit, 'L.Sacco' University Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0810-4026
Kerri L NovakDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4164-7321
Shintaro SagamiCenter for Advanced IBD Research and Treatment, Kitasato University Kitasato Institute Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1202-8161
Rebecca L SmithDepartment of Gastroenterology, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Ashish R SrinivasanDepartment of Gastroenterology, Austin Health, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5952-1570
Stuart A TaylorCentre for Medical Imaging, University College London, London, UK.
Vipul JairathAlimentiv Inc. London, London, Ontario, Canada.
Christopher MaDivision of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine and Community Health Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4698-9948
Robert V BryantInflammatory Bowel Disease Service, The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIntestinal ultrasound has been proposed as a tool to assess non-inflammatory functional gastrointestinal disorders, including constipation and faecal loading. However, well-defined sonographic criteria for these conditions are currently lacking.

aimTo identify and establish specific sonographic parameters that could be used to assess constipation and faecal loading with intestinal ultrasound.

methodsWe conducted a Research and Development/University of California Los Angeles appropriateness method exercise. A multidisciplinary, international panel comprising 14 experts in adult and paediatric gastroenterology and one radiologist experienced in gastrointestinal imaging rated the appropriateness of 57 statements using a 9-point Likert scale over two rounds of voting. Based on the median panel rating and level of disagreement, statements were categorised as appropriate, inappropriate or uncertain.

results43 statements were deemed appropriate after two rounds of voting, while three were rated as inappropriate and five as uncertain. Intestinal ultrasound was determined to be an appropriate modality for the assessment of faecal loading. Posterior acoustic shadowing and echogenic reflections were considered important sonographic parameters for the assessment of faecal loading. A rectal diameter of 30 mm was considered appropriate to define faecal loading in paediatric patients, although no recommendation was made for adult patients due to a paucity of data.

conclusionThe expert panel considered intestinal ultrasound an appropriate modality for evaluating constipation and faecal loading. Further prospective research is required, especially in adult patients, to define sonographic metrics of luminal contents to broaden its application in the assessment of functional gastrointestinal disorders.

Indexed as

ConstipationFecesIntestinesAdultChildHumansUltrasonographyconstipationdisorder of gut‐brain interactionfaecal loadingintestinal ultrasound

Identifiers

PMID40566695
PMCPMC12453904

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.