Constipation defination Bailey and Love
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Constipation - Definition (Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 28th Edition)
Chapter 73 - Definitions section:
"Constipation" is not a disease but rather a term often used by patients to describe dissatisfaction with their bowel function or their ability to defecate. As such it means different things to different patients (and different doctors) and can describe symptoms that directly relate to defecation, e.g. straining, or those considered consequent in the abdomen, e.g. pain and bloating.
American College of Gastroenterologists definition (cited in Bailey & Love):
"Unsatisfactory defecation, characterized by infrequent stools, difficult stool passage, or both for at least 3 months" - this covers most symptoms and introduces a time criterion to exclude patients with transient symptoms (sometimes called 'simple constipation').
Stricter definition of 'Chronic Constipation' (Bailey & Love):
"Unsatisfactory defecation characterized by infrequent stools, difficult stool passage or both for at least 6 months where this has proven unresponsive to lifestyle alterations and basic laxative therapy."
Key Points from Bailey & Love
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Nature | Not a disease - a symptom of dissatisfaction with bowel function |
| Simple constipation | Symptoms < 3 months (transient) |
| Chronic constipation | Symptoms ≥ 6 months, unresponsive to lifestyle changes and ≥ 2 laxatives |
| Prevalence (self-reported) | ~10% worldwide; higher in women (2:1 ratio) |
| Chronic constipation prevalence | ~0.5%; female:male ratio ~9:1 |
In children (Bailey & Love, paediatric surgery section): constipation is described as "the passage of hard or infrequent stools" which may be secondary to anal fissure, Hirschsprung's disease, anorectal malformation, neuropathic bowel, megarectosigmoid, or idiopathic constipation.
- Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 28th Edition, Chapter 73
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