SEQUENTIAL TREATMENT OF CHRONIC CONSTIPATION IN PARAPLEGIC SUBJECTS

Chronic constipation is the main gastrointestinal complaint of spinal cord injury (SCI) patients, and has a significant effect on patients' lives, concerning nursing dependence, morbidity and complications. Man y therapies have been proposed to treat chronic severe constipation, m ost of them with limited effect or being unpredictable in their effect or being expensive or very radical. Ten spinal cord injury patients h ave been submitted to a therapeutic protocol based on a high residue d iet, a standardised water intake, and on the use of a sequential sched ule of evacuating stimuli. After four weeks of treatment the patients showed an increased frequency of bowel movements per week, a decreased total gastrointestinal transit time, and a decreased need for oral an d rectal laxatives. This treatment seems to be effective in modifying patients' bowel habits, and therefore could be considered asa standard ised protocol for the management of severe constipation in those who a re paraplegic.