Abdominal Massage for Preventing Acute Postoperative Constipation in Hip Fractures .
Effects of Abdominal Massage for Preventing Acute Postoperative Constipation in Hip Fractures: A Prospective Interventional Study.
Clin Orthop Surg . 2023 Aug;15(4):546-551.A total of eighty-eight patients aged 65 years and older hospitalized with hip fractures were randomized to receive abdominal massage (n=48) or no abdominal massage (n=40). The primary outcome of interest was stool consistency using the Bristol Stool Scale, the effectiveness of abdominal massage on constipation management, specifically assessing the number of constipation remedies used and defecation failures as well as time to defecation post-surgery. Secondary outcomes of interest included development of postoperative ileus and duration of hospitalization. Outcomes were assessed 5 days after surgery and at discharge. Overall, the results of the study revealed that the abdominal massage group used significantly fewer constipation remedies and had fewer defecation failures on postoperative day 5 compared to the control group. No significant difference in the Bristol Scale between groups was found. Overall, these findings indicate that abdominal massage could serve as a beneficial non-pharmacological treatment for constipation in hospitalized elderly patients recovering from hip fractures.
Unlock the Full ACE Report
You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this ACE Reports
Unlock Now
Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics