Authors : Karami Hassan , Karami Hussein , Alam Alireza , Khademloo Mohammad , Tale Ali , Niari Parisan and Saneian Hussein
Abstract: Chronic constipation is a common elimination dysfunction in children. Chronic Functional Constipation (CFC) is referred to condition in which there is not underlying anatomic or medical causes. In addition to correction of defecation pattern and nutritional considerations, treatment of childhood CFC is also included case related drugs such as lactulose, paraffin and sorbitol that have different efficacy in different age groups. This study were assessed the efficacy of polyethylene Glycol (PEG) and Paraffin in treatment of childhood CFC. Material and Methods: Functional constipation is defined as a non anatomical constipation. A total of 126 functional constipated children aged 1-15 years, systematic randomly divided into two therapeutic groups: group 1 (PEG without electrolytes 40%, 1cc/kg/d, twice a day) and group 2 (Paraffin, 1cc/kg, twice daily). Children were divided into three age groups 12-23 mon, 24-59 mon and over 60 months and then the therapeutic response in each group were assessed separately. In order to evaluation of the drugs effects, we were scored to 5 following main criteria according to the severity of symptoms: stool frequency per week, pain and blood with stools, stool consistency and number of encopresis per month. At the end of one therapeutic month, the score obtained by each drug was compared with each other. Collected dada were analyzed by using SPSS software, mcNemar test, sign test, independent t test and pair-t test. At the end of first therapeutic month, increasing of stool frequency was 34 (70.8 %) in group 1 and 29 (53.7 %) in group 2 and improvement of stool consistency in group 1 and 2 were 66.6 and 50. 90 %, respectively. Pain with stool was decreased 36.36 % in group 1 and 31. 25 % in group 2. Decreasing of blood with stool in the both groups were 88. 2 and 90. 9 %, respectively and encopresis per month was decreased in 54.1 % of PEG and 44.4 % of Paraffin group. There was no significant difference between two groups. The scoring in PEG group was increased from 13.13�2.18-17. 20�2.07 and in Paraffin group increased from 13.48�1.9-16.78�2.51. Comparing of the mean scores were significant in each group after one month (p = 0.024). Our results have shown that PEG is more effective than Paraffin for treatment of childhood functional constipation. Therapeutic response to the drugs was varied among different age groups, as the best response to PEG and Paraffin was seen in age groups of 12-23 months and more than 60 months.
Karami Hassan , Karami Hussein , Alam Alireza , Khademloo Mohammad , Tale Ali , Niari Parisan and Saneian Hussein , 2008. Comparison the Efficacy of Polyethylene Glycol and Paraffin for the Treatment of Childhood Functional Constipation. Research Journal of Biological Sciences, 3: 665-668.