Optimal treatment of opioid induced constipation in daily clinical practice – an observational study

BMC Palliative Care

Table 2 Laxative use at opioid prescription

	Total N = 327 (%)	Fentanyl maintenance N = 131 (%)	Oxycodone maintenance N = 90 (%)	P (fentanyl vs. oxycodone group)
Any laxative	195 (60)	88 (67)	63 (70)	0,657
Polyethylene glycol solution	181 (55)	78 (60)	60 (67)	0,283
PEG dose, median^a	1	1	1
Magnesium	23 (7)	13 (10)	5 (6)	0,243
Magnesium dose, median^b	3	3	6
Bisacodyl	3 (1)	3 (2)	0 (0)	0,148
Bisacodyl dose, median^c	1	1	.
Lactulose	7 (2)	3 (2)	2 (2)	0,973
Lactulose dose, median^d	1	1	2
Enema’s	18 (6)	5 (4)	7 (8)	0,202
Enema frequency, median^e	1	1	1
Other	3 (1)	2	0 (0)	0,239

^aNumber of polyethylene glycol sachets per day. Sachet à 13,7 g containing polyethylene glycol and elektrolytes (potassiumchloride, sodiumchloride, sodium hydrogen carbonate). Inter quartile range (IQR) total group: 1–2; fentanyl group: 1–2; oxycodone group: 1–2
^bNumber of magnesium oxide tablets à 500 mg per day. IQR total group: 2–6; fentanyl group 2–3; oxycodone group: 4–6
^cNumber of bisacodyl tablets à 5 mg per day. Range total group: 1–1; fentanyl group: 1–1; oxycodone group: not applicable
^dNumber of lactulose doses per day. One dose equals 15 ml of lactulose 670 mg/ml. Range total group: 0–2; fentanyl group: 0–2; oxycodone group: 0–2
^eNumber of enema’s per day, usually a sodium phosphate enema of 133 ml containing 31,8 mg sodium acid phosphate and 139,1 mg sodium dihydrogenphosphate per ml. IQR total group: 0,5–1; fentanyl group: 0–1; oxycodonde group: 0,5–1

ISSN: 1472-684X