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Functional constipation in children can lead to rectal fecal impaction (RFI), which can cause pain and encopresis. Both oral and rectal treatments for RFI are effective, but they have not been compared prospectively. Investigators in the Netherlands randomized 90 children (age range, 4–16 years) with functional constipation and RFI to receive oral polyethylene glycol (PEG; 1.5 g/kg/day) for 6 days or dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate (docusate) enemas once daily for 6 days. After 6 days, all children received maintenance therapy with PEG (0.5 g/kg/day).
Baseline characteristics were similar in the two groups except that significantly more children in the PEG group also had an abdominal fecal mass. Successful disimpaction after 6 days (documented…