Highlights
- •Olive oil enemas are a safe and effective remedy for chronic constipation.
- •Olive oil enemas followed by glycerin enemas are useful for fecal disimpaction.
- •Olive oil enemas are effective in patients with various underlying disorders requiring bowel management.
Abstract
Purpose
Few reports have determined the efficacy of olive oil enemas for severe constipation.
Here, we review our experience with olive oil enemas in children with severe chronic
constipation.
Methods
In our outpatient pediatric surgery department, the charts of 118 patients prescribed
with olive oil enemas between January 2010 and November 2019 were retrospectively
reviewed. A 1–2 ml/kg olive oil enema was given either alone or followed several hours
later by a glycerin enema. Ratings included “very effective (VE),” “effective (E),”
“limited (L),” “ineffective (I),” and “unknown (U).”
Results
One hundred and fifteen (97.5%) patients were able to use olive oil enemas at home.
Forty-nine had functional constipation; 43 had anorectal malformation; 40 had Hirschsprung
disease; 12 had spina bifida; and 10 had other maladies.
Used as an enema, olive oil was effective in treating fecal impaction in 77.6% of
patients; as a lubricant, it was effective in treating 76.9% of patients. Efficacy
for fecal disimpaction was similar among patients with different underlying disorders.
Conclusion
Olive oil enemas are useful for more than three-quarters of children with severe chronic
constipation. Further study is warranted to add olive oil enemas as an adjunctive
treatment in the management of severe constipation.
Keywords
To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
Purchase one-time access:
Academic & Personal: 24 hour online accessCorporate R&D Professionals: 24 hour online accessOne-time access price info
- For academic or personal research use, select 'Academic and Personal'
- For corporate R&D use, select 'Corporate R&D Professionals'
Subscribe:
Subscribe to Journal of Pediatric SurgeryAlready a print subscriber? Claim online access
Already an online subscriber? Sign in
Register: Create an account
Institutional Access: Sign in to ScienceDirect
References
- Evaluation and treatment of functional constipation in infants and children: evidence-based recommendations from ESPGHAN and NASPGHAN.J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr. 2014; 58: 258-274https://doi.org/10.1097/MPG.0000000000000266
- Rectal fecal impaction treatment in childhood constipation: enemas versus high doses oral PEG.Pediatrics. 2009; 124: e1108-e1115https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2009-0022
- Olive Oil Injections in Constipation.Hospital (Lond 1886). 1904; 37: 68
- Olive oil enema in a pre-term infant with milk curd syndrome.Pediatr Int. 2013; 55: e93-e95https://doi.org/10.1111/ped.12082
- [Preliminary study on efficacy and tolerance of a "coupage" of olive oil in patients with chronic kidney disease. Nutritonal evaluation].Nefrologia. 2007; 27: 472-481
- The short-term effects of olive oil and flaxseed oil for the treatment of constipation in hemodialysis patients.J Ren Nutr. 2015; 25: 50-56https://doi.org/10.1053/j.jrn.2014.07.009
- Efficacy and tolerability of olive oil-based ketogenic diet in children with drug-resistant epilepsy: a single center experience from Turkey.Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2019; 23: 143-151https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-015-2436-2
- The effects of extra virgin olive oil and canola oil on inflammatory markers and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with ulcerative colitis.Eur J Clin Nutr. 2020; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-019-0549-z
- A prospective randomized study with mineral oil and oral lavage solution for treatment of faecal impaction in children.Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 1993; 7: 523-529https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2036.1993.tb00128.x
- Liquid paraffin: a reappraisal of its role in the treatment of constipation.Arch Dis Child. 2001; 85: 121-124https://doi.org/10.1136/adc.85.2.121
- Virgin Olive Oil and Health: summary of the III International Conference on Virgin Olive Oil and Health Consensus Report, JAEN (Spain) 2018.Nutrients. 2019; 11https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11092039
- The anal sphincter in idiopathic megarectum: effects of manual disimpaction under general anesthetic.Dis Colon Rectum. 1996; 39: 435-439https://doi.org/10.1007/bf02054060
Article Info
Publication History
Published online: March 25, 2021
Accepted:
March 12,
2021
Received:
March 6,
2021
Type of Study: Retrospective comparative study, Level of Evidence, Level III.Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
