Constipation

Definition:

Constipation is a symptom, not a disease.

The patient's view. Different patients have different perceptions of symptoms. Some patients regard constipation as straining (52%), while for others, it means hard, pellet-like stools (44%) or an inability to defecate when desired (34%), or infrequent defecation (33%).

The clinical view. There is constipation if patients who do not take laxatives report at least two of the following in any 12-week period during the previous 12 months (the Rome Criteria):

• Fewer than three bowel movements (BMs) per week
• Hard stool in more than 25% of BMs
• A sense of incomplete evacuation in more than 25% of BMs
• Excessive straining in more than 25% of BMs
• A need for digital manipulation to facilitate evacuation

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Review Team

• Greger Lindberg (Chair, Sweden)
• Saeed Hamid (Pakistan)
• Peter Malfertheiner (Germany)
• Ole Thomsen (Denmark)
• Luis Bustos Fernandez (Argentina)
• James Garisch (South Africa)
• Alan Thomson (Canada)
• Khean-Lee Goh (Malaysia)
• Rakesh Tandon (India)
• Suliman Fedail (Sudan)
• Benjamin Wong (China)
• Aamir Khan (Pakistan)
• Justus Krabshuis (France)
• Anton Le Mair (The Netherlands)

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