Abstract
Introduction
Chronic constipation is the most common digestive complaint at the doctor's office, with high prevalence in the population. However, many patients – and even those physicians not so familiar with pelvic floor disorders–define and consider constipation based on intestinal functionality and stool consistency. But symptoms of incomplete defecation, digital maneuvers, abdominal discomfort, and straining should not be overlooked.
Objectives
To investigate the correlation between constipation referred and documented through objective criteria in patients admitted on a daytime-nursing ward basis at the Hospital Santa Marcelina, São Paulo.
Methodology
This is a prospective study of a random sample of patients admitted on a daytime-ward hospitalization basis at Santa Marcelina Hospital to perform minor surgical procedures not related to functional disorders of the gastrointestinal tract in the period from September 2014 to June 2015; the only exclusion criterion was “not agreed to participate in the interview conducted by students of medicine at Santa Marcelina Medical School”.
Results
102 patients were randomly analyzed in the period considered (51% female) with a mean overall age of 48.6 (19–82) years. Constipation has been reported spontaneously by 17.6% of participants and denied by 82.4%. With the implementation of the Cleveland Clinic's criteria for the diagnosis of constipation, the compliance with the referred symptomatology was 88.9%; the same value was found with the use of the Rome III criteria (Kappa = 0.665). In addition, a higher incidence of constipation was observed in female patients (p = 0.002).
Conclusion
A higher incidence of constipation was observed in female participants, with no statistical difference with respect to age. Furthermore, a substantial agreement was found between constipation referred and constipation documented through objective criteria.
Keywords
Constipation; Rome criteria; Kappa index
