Prevalence of constipation in cystic fibrosis patients: a systematic review of observational studies

Stefano, Marina A; Poderoso, Rosana E; Mainz, Jochen G; Ribeiro, Jose D; Ribeiro, Antonio F; Lomazi, Elizete Aparecida

Abstract Objective:

To systematically revise the literature in search of data about the prevalence of constipation in patients with cystic fibrosis according to the publications in this field, which partly refer to guidelines defined in 2010 by the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.

Sources:

Systematic review selecting articles based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses, including Cystic Fibrosis patients of all ages.

Sources of information were selected to identify the articles without period limitation:

CADTH - Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, CINAHL Complete, Clinical Trials US NIH, Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE via Ovid, Scopus, Web Of Science, PubMed, SciELO, MEDLINE and LILACS , Health Systems Evidence, PDQ Evidence, CRD Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health, INAHTA - International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment, and PEDro.

Findings:

The prevalence of constipation was reported in eight observational studies. Only two studies assessed the frequency of constipation as a primary objective; in the others, constipation was quoted along with the prevalence of the spectrum of gastrointestinal manifestations. Altogether, the publications included 2,018 patients, the reported prevalence varied from 10% to 57%. Only two of the six articles published after 2010 followed the definition recommended by the European Society.

Conclusions:

Constipation is a frequent but still insufficiently assessed complaint of Cystic Fibrosis patients. The use of diverse diagnostic criteria restricts comparison and epidemiological conclusions, future studies should compulsorily apply the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition definition.

Resumo Objetivo Revisar sistematicamente a literatura em busca de dados sobre a prevalência de constipação em pacientes com fibrose cística (FC), de acordo com as publicações nesse campo, que se referem parcialmente às diretrizes definidas pela European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology Hepatology and Nutrition (ESPGHAN, 2010). Fontes de dados Revisão sistemática, selecionaram-se artigos com base no Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA), incluindo todos os pacientes com FC de todas as faixas etárias.

As fontes de informação foram selecionadas para identificar os artigos sem limitação de período para a pesquisa:

CADTH (Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health), CINAHL Complete, Clinical Trials US NIH, Cochrane Library, Embase, Medline via Ovid, Scopus, Web of Science, PubMed, SciELO, Medline e Lilacs por meio da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Health Systems Evidence, PDQ Evidence, CRD (Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health), INAHTA (International Network of Agencies for Health Technology Assessment) e PEDRO. Achados A prevalência de constipação em pacientes com FC foi relatada em oito estudos observacionais. Apenas dois estudos avaliaram a frequência de constipação como objetivo primário; nos outros, a constipação foi citada juntamente com a prevalência do espectro de manifestações gastrointestinais. No total, as publicações incluíram 2.018 pacientes e a prevalência relatada variou amplamente, de 10 a 57%. Apenas dois dos seis artigos publicados após 2010 seguiram a definição recomendada pela ESPGHAN. Conclusões A constipação é uma queixa frequente, mas ainda insuficientemente avaliada, dos pacientes com FC. O uso de diversos critérios diagnósticos restringe as comparações e declarações epidemiológicas, de modo que futuros estudos deveriam aplicar a definição ESPGHAN de maneira compulsória.