Patients requiring opioids for post-operative pain control following elective orthopedic procedures which has resulted in constipation symptoms, and who are in inpatient rehabilitation will be randomized to two different treatment arms: lubiprostone or senna. Baseline scores regarding constipation and a quality of life bowel questionnaire will be compared the day following 6 days of treatment intervention.
The purpose of this study is to assess the efficacy of Lubiprostone (Amitiza) compared to standard care for the treatment of constipation in orthopedic patients receiving opioids for pain control during inpatient rehabilitation. Lubiprostone (Amitiza®) is a locally acting chloride channel activator that increases intestinal fluid, and thus increases intestinal motility. It has been approved for chronic constipation, but not in the setting of opioid-induced constipation. Senna is a stimulant laxative that increases propulsive peristaltic activity of the colon through local effects on the mucosa. Subjects will be compared using from the Patient Assessment of Constipation (PAC) which has previously been found to be a valid and reliable way to measure constipation symptoms and clinical course. (Frank, Kleinman et al. 1999) as well as with other measures of bowel-related symptoms and functional outcomes.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
QUADRUPLE
Enrollment
64
24 µg po BID given with meals for 6 days
2 tabs daily for 6 days
Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois, United States
Change in Patient Assessment of Constipation (PAC) - Symptoms (Sym)
Patient Assessment of Constipation (PAC) - Change in this measure was assessed. The PAC has previously been found to be a valid and reliable way to measure constipation symptoms and clinical course. The PAC has two components. The symptom (SYM) component is composed of 12 items with score range 0-4 with lower scores indicating improvement. Scores within the two domains were separately averaged. The PAC-SYM questionnaire has shown good concurrent and clinical validity for opioid-induced constipation in a number of pain populations and has demonstrative responsiveness to treatment. There are three symptom domains within the PAC-SYM: Abdominal symptoms (4 items), rectal symptoms (3 items) and stool symptoms (5 items).
Time frame: Baseline and Day 7, after treatment completed (6 days of treatment)
Change in Patient Assessment of Constipation - Quality of Life
The second component of the PAC is the quality of life (QOL) component.The quality of life (QOL) component consists of five items that are rated on a 0-4 scale with higher scores indicating better QOL. Scores within the domains are averaged.
Time frame: Baseline and day 7
This platform is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional.