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Functional ConstipationNCT01823848

A Trial of Three Types of Enemas Used to Treat Functional Constipation in Children

A study testing Sodium phosphate enema, Normal saline enema and Mineral oil enema in people with Functional Constipation, run by Children's Hospital Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

Terminated

Stopped early. The study ended before it was planned to and will not resume.

Official record
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Trial summary

Functional constipation is extremely common in children and is defined as painful, hard stools or firm stools for twice or less per week. Functional constipation accounts for 3% of general pediatric visits and up to 25% of pediatric gastroenterology visits. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 4 to 12 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Functional Constipation
What is being tested?
Sodium phosphate enema, Normal saline enema and Mineral oil enema
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
40 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
Apr 2013to Dec 2017
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 4 to 12 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Age 4-12 years
  • Receiving enema in ED for presumed constipation

Who cannot join

  • Critically ill patient
  • Any history of renal insufficiency, renal disease, or elevated creatinine
  • Any history of intestinal anatomic abnormality (i.e. anal stenosis, anal surgery, bowel obstruction, hirschprung's disease)
  • An inability to self-report pain
  • Presence of gastrostomy or jejunostomy tube
  • Any history of gastrointestinal dysmotility
  • Inability to read or speak English or Spanish

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Children's Hospital Los Angeles

    Los Angeles, California, 90027

Other trials in United States

About this study

Official title: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Three Types of Enemas Used to Treat Functional Constipation in Children

Functional constipation is extremely common in children and is defined as painful, hard stools or firm stools for twice or less per week. Functional constipation accounts for 3% of general pediatric visits and up to 25% of pediatric gastroenterology visits. Constipation and fecal impaction can lead to a range of symptoms including decreased appetite, vomiting, and abdominal pain frequently resulting in Emergency Department (ED) presentation. In contrast to the outpatient setting where diet and oral medications work well to relieve symptoms related to functional constipation, ED management requires an approach with quicker results. For immediate relief of symptoms, disimpaction via enema use may be better than polyethylene glycol (PEG) 3350 for children. However, the type of enema to be used is not well studied. Currently, any patient presenting to the ED with a presumed diagnosis of abdominal pain due to functional constipation receives an oral dose of PEG and one of the following three types of enemas (based on the ED treating attending's discretion): phosphate or Fleets enema, normal saline enema, or mineral oil enema. There is no evidence in the literature that demonstrates any difference in the effectiveness of each of these enemas. The investigators propose a randomized control trial of the three types of pediatric enemas readily used in our ED to determine the best approach. There will be three arms within this study: a) PEG plus phosphate enema b) PEG plus normal saline enema and c) PEG plus mineral oil enema. The physicians enrolling patients will not be the treating physicians. The four principal investigators (blinded to the type of enema being used), following appropriate informed consent, will obtain pain scores (Faces Pain Scale - Revised) pre- and post-administration of each of the three treatments listed above in order to determine the best enema to use in children 4-12 years of age. Other outcomes to be analyzed will include the patient's weight pre- and post-administration of the enema, satisfaction ratings on a visual analog scale from the treating physician (who will also be blinded), and parental surveys on the day of administration and 3-5 days following discharge. Data analysis for pain scores will be completed with repeated measures anova. Categorical values will be compared using Chi Square analysis and continuous variables will be compared using parametric statistics.

Being tested
Sodium phosphate enema, Normal saline enema, Mineral oil enema
Keywords
constipation, enema
Medical subject headings
Constipation

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Sodium phosphate enemaDrug

    Also called Fleets enema

    Rectally administered medication to treat constipation

  • Normal saline enemaDrug

    Rectally administered medication to treat constipation

  • Mineral oil enemaDrug

    Mineral oil enema administered to treat constipation. 66ml per rectum

Study groups in NCT01823848
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Sodium phosphate enemaActive comparatorAdministration of sodium phosphate (fleets) enema for functional constipation in children ages 4-12 years Age 4-5: 33ml per rectum Age 5-12: 66ml per rectum
Receives: Drug: Sodium phosphate enema; Drug: Normal saline enema; Drug: Mineral oil enema
Normal saline enemaActive comparatorAdministration of normal saline enema for functional constipation in children ages 4-12 years Admininstered as 10ml/kg with maximum of 700ml
Receives: Drug: Sodium phosphate enema; Drug: Normal saline enema; Drug: Mineral oil enema
Mineral oil enemaExperimentalAdministration of mineral oil enema for functional constipation in children ages 4-12 years Administered as 66ml per rectum
Receives: Drug: Sodium phosphate enema; Drug: Normal saline enema; Drug: Mineral oil enema

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in pain scores following administration of enema

    Measured: 1-2 hours

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted4 Apr 2013 (estimated)
  2. Study startApr 2013
  3. Primary completionDec 2017
  4. Study completionDec 2017

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Single group
Masking
Triple blind
Who is masked
Care provider, Investigator, Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
40 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT01823848
Sponsor's protocol ID
CCI-12-00295
Status last verified
Oct 2023
First submitted
26 Mar 2013
Last updated
1 Nov 2023
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Sodium phosphate enema, Normal saline enema and Mineral oil enema in people with Functional Constipation, run by Children's Hospital Los Angeles at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 2 inclusion and 7 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: stopped early, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 Nov 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study was stopped early. Results are not available in the source record.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in pain scores following administration of enema (time frame: 1-2 hours). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 1 Nov 2023.

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