A study carried out by the National Taiwan University
Hospital and the National Taiwan University, College of Medicine in Taipei,
determined that patients with partial bowel obstruction may improve with oral
intake of laxatives, acidophilus, and simethicone.
According to some specialists, patients with partial
adhesive small-bowel obstruction are usually managed conservatively, receiving
intravenous hydration and nothing by mouth. “Previous studies have suggested
that this approach is associated with longer hospital stays and an increased
risk of delayed surgery”, as reports Shyr-Chyr Chen, MD, from National Taiwan
University Hospital and National Taiwan University College of Medicine in
Taipei, and colleagues.
From 144 consecutive patients with adhesive partial
small-bowel obstruction that was admitted between February 2000 and July 2001,
128 met the inclusion criteria and were randomized to either the intervention
group -IV hydration, nasogastric (NG)-tube decompression, and oral therapy with
magnesium oxide, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and simethicone- or to the control
group (IV hydration, NG-tube decompression, and nothing by mouth).
Most of the patients were men, whose age was 54.4 ± 15.9
years in the control group and 53.9 ± 16.3 years in the intervention group. A
91 per cent of patients in the intervention group and 76 per cent of patients
in the control group had successful treatment without surgery.
“Oral therapy with magnesium oxide, L. acidophilus and
simethicone was effective in hastening the resolution of conservatively treated
partial adhesive small-bowel obstruction and shortening the hospital
stay," the authors write. "Further trials with larger patient samples
are needed to verify the value of oral therapy for partial adhesive small-bowel
obstructions observed in this study”, the experts report.
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