RT Book, Section
A1 Parker, Michelle W.
A2 Zaoutis, Lisa B.
A2 Chiang, Vincent W.
SR Print(0)
ID 1146116822
T1 Constipation
T2 Comprehensive Pediatric Hospital Medicine, 2e
YR 2017
FD 2017
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071829281
LK accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1146116822
RD 2023/03/27
AB Constipation  is  a  common  pediatric  disorder,  with  studies  citing  a  prevalence  up  to  30%  with  a  median  of  9%  of  children;1  however,  in  special  patient  populations  such  as  children  with  cerebral  palsy,  prevalence  is  much  higher.2  It  was  the  principal  diagnosis  in  52/10,000  hospital  discharges  for  patients  <18  years  old  with  an  all-study  mean  cost  per  discharge  of  $17,518  in  2010.3  Because  normal  stooling  patterns  vary  greatly  among  individuals  and  by  age,  constipation  is  generally  defined  as  infrequent  or  difficult  passage  of  hard  stool,  frequently  associated  with  pain  and  straining.1,4-8  Average  stooling  frequencies  at  different  ages  have  been  defined  (Table  76-1).