Rates and Factors Associated With Laxative Prescription Among Type 2 Diabetes Patients in Primary Care

Kantapong Thamcharoensak; Narucha  Komolsuradej; Napakkawat  Buathong; Kittisak  Choomalee

doi:10.33165/rmj.2020.43.4.241632

Authors

Kantapong Thamcharoensak Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
Narucha Komolsuradej Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
Napakkawat Buathong Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
Kittisak Choomalee Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.33165/rmj.2020.43.4.241632

Keywords:

Rate, Laxatives prescriptions, Type 2 diabetes

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a common noncommunicable disease. Several gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, chronic constipation, and fecal incontinence are often observed in DM patients; among these, chronic constipation is the most commonly reported. Given the growing prevalence of diabetes-associated chronic constipation, the problem of laxative prescribed without diagnosis of constipation among type 2 diabetes patients has been found in the primary care unit. Therefore, it should attend to investigate the rate and factors associated with laxative prescription in type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To evaluate the rate and factors associated with laxative prescription in type 2 diabetic patients at the primary care unit and general practitioner outpatient clinic at Songklanagarind Hospital.

Results: Overall, 386 patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes were enrolled (55.7% female; mean age, 63.3 years; median duration of type 2 diabetes, 7 years; median visit in 5 years of each patient, 44 visits). Prevalence of laxative prescriptions was 16.6%. Rate of laxative prescriptions was 1.7% within 5 years. Patients with no diagnosis constipation according to ICD-10 about 81.2%. The statistically significant factors associated with laxative prescriptions in diabetic patients were age, number of hospital visit in 5 years, duration of type 2 DM disease, height, diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum uric acid, and glomerular filtration rate.

Conclusions: Most laxative prescribed diabetic patients were without written diagnosis of constipation. Factors associated with laxative prescriptions were age, number of hospital visit, duration of type 2 DM disease, height, diastolic blood pressure, hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum uric acid, and glomerular filtration rate.

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