Perceptions, Definitions, and Therapeutic Interventions for Occasional Constipation: A Rome Working Group Consensus Document.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: Functional constipation is the most common of the disorders of gut-brain interaction, affecting approximately 12% of the world population. Although classically considered a chronic condition, many individuals experience shorter yet repetitive bouts of constipation representing a different clinical entity. There has been increased interest in this latter disorder, which has recently been classified as occasional constipation. This Rome Foundation working group document reflects the consensus of an international team of specialists who summarized currently available research to provide a working definition of and treatment algorithm for occasional constipation. The recommendations herein are based on current evidence, accounting for gaps in the literature as well as international variance in definitions and health seeking behaviors for constipation. METHODS: The committee members reviewed the scientific literature, focusing specifically on occasional constipation, with the understanding that as a new entity, a paucity of data would be available. We used Rome IV research and clinical definitions to establish the framework for our definition of occasional constipation. Where possible, treatment recommendations were determined on the basis of the earliest extractable data from functional constipation studies, focusing on positive results within the first 2 weeks of treatment. We used the Delphi method to create consensus with 100% agreement between the authors. RESULTS: An evidence-based review of the literature resulted in the definition of occasional constipation as follows: "individuals who experience the presence of at least 1 functional constipation symptom, in the absence of alarm signs or symptoms, occurring at irregular and infrequent intervals, which is bothersome enough to induce a patient to seek medical management." Medical management whether seeking medical care or self-treatment was left to the individual's discretion, and we did not include time anchors because these thresholds require further investigation. Polyethylene glycol and stimulant laxatives are recommended as first-line interventions, whereas magnesium-containing compounds are suggested in individuals failing to respond to these therapies. There are insufficient data to make recommendations for using fiber or stool softeners. Prescription laxatives should be reserved for individuals with chronic constipation. CONCLUSIONS: Occasional constipation is a unique clinical entity characterized by infrequent but recurrent symptoms. Data are limited because consensus definitions have been lacking. Establishing a standardized definition and therapeutic recommendations provides a framework for future studies focusing on epidemiologic and symptoms-based outcomes. Further studies are needed to confirm and refine these recommendations.

Tibial Nerve Stimulation for Fecal Incontinence: The Importance of Sham.

ABSTRACT: Sacral neuromodulation has become an established treatment for fecal incontinence unresponsive to conservative measures. However, it requires surgical implantation and is expensive. Percutaneous tibial nerve stimulation (PTNS) has been suggested as a minimally invasive and less expensive alternative on the basis of uncontrolled studies. The study by Zyczynski et al. compared active PTNS with a sham control group of women with fecal incontinence. Similar to previous studies, active PTNS provided benefits to treated patients but were not different from the sham group. This study highlights the need for rigorously performed controlled studies of neuromodulation for anorectal disorders.

Humoral Immunogenicity of mRNA COVID-19 Vaccines Among Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Healthy Controls.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on immune-modifying therapies may have a lower vaccine response to certain vaccines. The aim of our study was to evaluate humoral immunogenicity of mRNA coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccines among patients with IBD and healthy controls (HCs). METHODS: We performed a prospective study to evaluate humoral immunogenicity among patients with IBD and HCs after completion of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-two patients with IBD and 60 HCs were enrolled. All HCs and 97% of patients with IBD developed antibodies. Antibody concentrations were lower in patients with IBD compared with those in HCs (median 31 vs 118 µg/mL; P < 0.001). Those who received the mRNA-1273 (Moderna) COVID-19 (median 38; interquartile range [IQR] 24-75 vs µg/mL) had higher antibody concentrations compared with those who received the Pfizer-BNT vaccine series (median 22; IQR 11-42 µg/mL; P < 0.001). Patients on immune-modifying therapy (median 26; IQR 13-50 µg/mL) had lower antibody concentrations compared with those who were on no treatment, aminosalicylates, or vedolizumab (median 59; IQR 31-75 µg/mL; P = 0.003). DISCUSSION: Almost all patients with IBD in our study mounted an antibody response. Future studies are needed in evaluating sustained humoral immunity and the impact of booster dosing in patients with IBD.

ACG Clinical Guidelines: Management of Benign Anorectal Disorders.

Benign anorectal disorders of structure and function are common in clinical practice. These guidelines summarize the preferred approach to the evaluation and management of defecation disorders, proctalgia syndromes, hemorrhoids, anal fissures, and fecal incontinence in adults and represent the official practice recommendations of the American College of Gastroenterology. The scientific evidence for these guidelines was assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation process. When the evidence was not appropriate for Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation, we used expert consensus to develop key concept statements. These guidelines should be considered as preferred but are not the only approaches to these conditions.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth Syndrome: A Guide for the Appropriate Use of Breath Testing.

The increased availability of noninvasive breath tests, each with limitations, has led to widespread testing for small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in patients with non-specific gastrointestinal complaints. The lactulose breath test (LBT) is based upon an incorrect premise and therefore incorrect interpretations which has resulted in the over-diagnosis of SIBO and the excessive use of antibiotics in clinical practice. Despite limitations, the glucose breath test (GBT) should be exclusively employed when considering SIBO in appropriately chosen patients. This review suggests guidelines for the optimal use and appropriate interpretation of the GBT for suspected SIBO. The LBT should be discarded from future use, and the literature based upon the LBT should be discounted accordingly.

Immunosuppression Does Not Affect Antibody Concentrations to Measles, Mumps, and Rubella in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

BACKGROUND: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends using the immunization record and not serologic testing to determine immunity against measles and rubella in the general population, due to potential false negatives. However, it is unknown whether the immune response is less durable among patients who are immunosuppressed. AIMS: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate sustained vaccine-induced measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) antibody concentrations in immunosuppressed patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study to compare antibody concentrations following the two-dose (MMR) vaccine among 46 patients with IBD and 20 healthy controls (HC). Three IBD groups stratified by the immunosuppressive regimen that preceded study entry for at least 3 months: (1) thiopurine monotherapy, (2) anti-TNF monotherapy, or (3) combination therapy (anti-TNF agent combined with an immunomodulator) were enrolled. RESULTS: All subjects had measurable antibody concentrations to the three vaccine viruses. Age and time since receipt of MMR series were similar in both groups. There were no difference in the antibody concentration of measles (IBD 667 mIU/ml vs HC 744 mIU/ml; p = 0.45), mumps (IBD 339 EU/ml vs HC 402 EU/ml; p = 0.62), or rubella (IBD 25 mIU/ml vs HC 62 mIU/ml; p = 0.11) among the groups. No differences in antibody concentrations were found among the IBD treatment groups. CONCLUSION: Immunosuppressed patients with IBD have sustained antibody concentrations comparable to healthy controls. Thus, gastroenterologist should follow the ACIP recommendations and use the immunization record when available to determine immunity to measles and rubella in patients with IBD. Clinical Trials Registry # NCT02434133.

Diagnosis and Management of Fecal Incontinence.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to highlight current and newer therapeutic approaches to treat fecal incontinence in patients who do not respond to conservative measures. RECENT FINDINGS: Neurostimulation techniques, injection of bulking agents, and radiofrequency energy delivery to the anal canal have been proposed and tested for fecal incontinence over the last decade. Sacral stimulation is both effective and durable and is now the most popular of the invasive techniques whereas percutaneous tibial stimulation, radiofrequency energy, and bulking agents are either less effective or their evaluation has been handicapped by suboptimal study designs. The precise indications for the new vaginal control device and anal plugs remain to be established. The magnetic anal sphincter is disappointing. Stem cell therapy is a potentially exciting approach, which is in its infancy. There continues to be an unmet need for innovative approaches to patients with fecal incontinence who do not respond to conservative measures. The efficacy of current and future therapies should be assessed using criteria more stringent than has been used in the past to provide a more realistic assessment of meaningful efficacy.

Lower Sustained Diphtheria and Pertussis Antibody Concentrations in Inflammatory Bowel Disease Patients.

BACKGROUND: Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are often immunosuppressed, and those patients receiving anti-tumor necrosis factor α (TNF) therapy can have lower antibody responses to vaccines. Pertussis cases are at their highest levels in the post-vaccine era. There is little data regarding responses to the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis) vaccine in IBD patients. AIMS: The aim of this study was to compare sustained vaccine-induced Tdap antibody concentrations in a cohort of IBD patients stratified by medication regimens with healthy controls (HC) who had received an adult Tdap booster. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study evaluating antibody responses to Tdap vaccine among IBD patients compared to HC. Our study consisted of three patient groups: adults with IBD stratified by maintenance medication regimen: (1) thiopurine monotherapy; (2) anti-TNF monotherapy; and (3) combination therapy (anti-TNF and immunomodulator (thiopurine or methotrexate)). RESULTS: Ninety IBD patients and 20 HC participated. Pertussis pertactin antibody concentrations were significantly lower in IBD patients (p = 0.021) compared to HC, and those on anti-TNF agents (monotherapy or combination) had lower antibody concentrations compared to those on thiopurine monotherapy (p = 0.028). Diphtheria antibody concentrations were also lower in IBD patients (p < 0.001), and those on anti-TNF agents (monotherapy or combination) had lower antibody concentrations compared to the thiopurine monotherapy group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: IBD patients on anti-TNF agents had lower antibody concentrations to diphtheria and pertussis. These findings suggest a need for different Tdap booster schedules for IBD patients on anti-TNF therapy. Clinical Trials Registry NCT02434133.

Functional Anorectal Disorders.

This report defines criteria and reviews the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and management of common anorectal disorders: fecal incontinence (FI), functional anorectal pain and functional defecation disorders. FI is defined as the recurrent uncontrolled passage of fecal material for at least 3 months. The clinical features of FI are useful for guiding diagnostic testing and therapy. Anorectal manometry and imaging are useful for evaluating anal and pelvic floor structure and function. Education, antidiarrheals and biofeedback therapy are the mainstay of management; surgery may be useful in refractory cases. Functional anorectal pain syndromes are defined by clinical features and categorized into three subtypes. In proctalgia fugax, the pain is typically fleeting and lasts for seconds to minutes. In levator ani syndrome (LAS) and unspecified anorectal pain the pain lasts more than 30 minutes, but in LAS there is puborectalis tenderness. Functional defecation disorders are defined by >2 symptoms of chronic constipation or irritable bowel syndrome with constipation, and with >2 features of impaired evacuation i.e., abnormal evacuation pattern on manometry, abnormal balloon expulsion test or impaired rectal evacuation by imaging. It includes two subtypes; dyssynergic defecation and inadequate defecatory propulsion. Pelvic floor biofeedback therapy is effective for treating LAS and defecatory disorders.

Pediatric Rectal Exam: Why, When, and How.

The digital rectal examination (DRE) is performed in children less often than is indicated. Indications for the pediatric DRE include diarrhea, constipation, fecal incontinence, abdominal pain, gastrointestinal bleeding, and anemia. Less well-recognized indications may include abdominal mass, urinary symptoms, neurologic symptoms, urogenital or gynecologic symptoms, and anemia. Indeed, we believe that it should be considered part of a complete physical examination in children presenting with many different complaints. Physicians avoid this part of the physical examination in both children and adults for a number of reasons: discomfort on the part of the health care provider; belief that no useful information will be provided; lack of adequate training and experience in the performance of the DRE; conviction that planned "orders" or testing can obviate the need for the DRE; worry about "assaulting" a patient, particularly one who is small, young, and subordinate; anticipation that the exam will be refused by patient or parent; and concern regarding the time involved in the exam. The rationale and clinical utility of the DRE will be summarized in this article. In addition, the components of a complete pediatric DRE, along with suggestions for efficiently obtaining the child's consent and cooperation, will be presented.

Constipation: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment.

IMPORTANCE: Chronic constipation accounts for at least 8 million annual visits to health care providers in the United States and is associated with large expenditures for diagnostic testing and prescription and nonprescription laxatives. OBSERVATIONS: Strong evidence for efficacy has been established for stimulant and osmotic laxatives, new intestinal secretogogues, and peripherally restricted µ-opiate receptor antagonists, the latter a major advance in the treatment of opioid-induced constipation (OIC). An algorithm provided to evaluate chronic idiopathic constipation (CIC) that is refractory to available laxatives focuses on the importance of defecation disorders and biofeedback therapies. When used appropriately, available stimulant laxatives such as senna and bisacodyl are both safe and effective when used long-term. There is a paucity of (and a strong desire for) studies that compare inexpensive laxatives with newer agents that work by other mechanisms. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The choice of treatment for CIC and OIC should be based on cost as well as efficacy. The small subgroup of patients who do not respond to currently available laxatives requires further evaluation at experienced centers that are capable of performing studies of defecation and colonic transit.

Constipation: pathophysiology and management.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Continuing advances in pharmaceutical development are providing an expanding array of treatment approaches for patients with chronic constipation. More comprehensive characterization of pancolonic motility carries the promise of improved understanding of the pathophysiology of this common disorder. Chronic constipation which responds poorly to laxatives may result from the use of drugs such as opioids, or from defecation disorders and advanced colonic dysmotility. RECENT FINDINGS: This article highlights improved characterization of pancolonic motility, evidence of efficacy of established and novel drugs for both idiopathic and opioid-induced constipation and a new algorithm for the evaluation of patients with chronic idiopathic constipation who respond inadequately to available laxatives. SUMMARY: The articles cited in this review inform the reader of new developments in the evaluation and treatment of patients with chronic constipation.

Poor quality evidence to support the use of biofeedback for the treatment of functional constipation in adults.

Implications for practice and research: Currently, there is insufficient evidence to make conclusions regarding the efficacy and safety of biofeedback for patients with chronic constipation. Further, well-designed randomised controlled trials are needed to allow definitive conclusions to be drawn.

New treatments for fecal incontinence: update for the gastroenterologist.

Fecal incontinence is one of the most emotionally devastating of all nonfatal conditions. Many patients do not respond satisfactorily to conservative measures, and there is a need for new and effective strategies when medical therapy fails. The development of sacral nerve stimulation and other forms of neuromodulation and the injection of biologically compatible substances into the anal sphincter complex have brought renewed enthusiasm for using these novel treatments in this underserved population. Because injectable bulking agents such as dextranomer in stabilized hyaluronic acid can be administered in an outpatient setting, this procedure is being marketed to both gastroenterologists and surgeons. This article reviews both sacral nerve stimulation and dextranomer bulking agents and compares their strengths and potential limitations in patients with fecal incontinence.

ACG clinical guideline: management of benign anorectal disorders.

These guidelines summarize the definitions, diagnostic criteria, differential diagnoses, and treatments of a group of benign disorders of anorectal function and/or structure. Disorders of function include defecation disorders, fecal incontinence, and proctalgia syndromes, whereas disorders of structure include anal fissure and hemorrhoids. Each section reviews the definitions, epidemiology and/or pathophysiology, diagnostic assessment, and treatment recommendations of each entity. These recommendations reflect a comprehensive search of all relevant topics of pertinent English language articles in PubMed, Ovid Medline, and the National Library of Medicine from 1966 to 2013 using appropriate terms for each subject. Recommendations for anal fissure and hemorrhoids lean heavily on adaptation from the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons Practice Parameters from the most recent published guidelines in 2010 and 2011 and supplemented with subsequent publications through 2013. We used systematic reviews and meta-analyses when available, and this was supplemented by review of published clinical trials.