Drug class review on constipation drugs : final report / Gerald Gartlehner, [and six others].

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gartlehner, Gerald, author.

Series:

Drug class reviews.

Drug class reviews

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Outcome assessment (Medical care).

Physical Description:

1 online resource.

Place of Publication:

Chapel Hill, NC : RTI-UNC Evidence-based Practice Center, Cecil G. Sheps Center for Health Services Research, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2007.

Summary:

Chronic constipation is a disorder characterized by unsatisfactory defecation that results from infrequent stools, difficult stool passage, or both over a time period of at least 12 weeks. In this report, we review the general and comparative effectiveness, safety, and tolerability of drugs for chronic constipation. Our review covers the use of the following in adults and children with chronic constipation and Irritable Bowel Syndrome, constipation-predominant (IBS-C): docusate calcium, docusate sodium, lactulose, lubiprostone, polyethylene glycol 3350, psyllium, and tegaserod.

Contents:

Introduction

Background

Etiology

Approach to Management

Scope and Key Questions

Methods

Literature Search

Study Selection

Data Abstraction

Quality Assessment

Data Synthesis

Rating the Strength of a Body of Evidence

Results

Key Question 1. What is the general efficacy and effectiveness of drugs used to treat chronic constipation and chronic constipation associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome? Given general efficacy and effectiveness, what is the comparative effectiveness of drugs used to treat chronic constipation and chronic constipation associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Key Question 2. Does treatment duration influence the effectiveness of drugs used to treat chronic constipation and chronic constipation associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome? When should treatments be switched in patients not responding to a given drug?

Key Question 3. What is the comparative tolerability and safety of drugs used to treat chronic constipation and chronic constipation associated with Irritable Bowel Syndrome?

Key Question 4. Are there subgroups of patients based on demographics (age, racial or ethnic groups, and gender), other medications, or co-morbidities, including Irritable Bowel Syndrome, for which one symptomatic treatment is more effective or associated with fewer adverse events?

Summary and Discussion

Addendum

References

Appendixes

Appendix A. Search Strategies

Appendix B. Abstract-only Studies

Appendix C. Quality Assessment Methods for Drug Class Reviews for the Drug Effectiveness Review Project

Appendix D. Excluded Studies

Evidence Tables.

Notes:

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.