Impact of the Bowel Management Program on the quality of life in children with fecal incontinence.

PURPOSE: Evaluate the impact of implementing Bowel Management Program (BMP) on quality of life (QoL) in children with fecal incontinence (FI). METHODS: Children 3-12 years referred to the Children's Treatment Center of FI were included and categorized accordingto the tendency to constipation (dilated colon; group 1) or diarrhea (non-dilated colon; group 2). Evaluations were performed before and after 3 months of BMP implementation. Perceptions from parents and children about QoL were assessed by the instrument PedsQL4.0 and the severity of FI by the fecal incontinence index (FII) of Wexner scale. RESULTS: 43 children (mean age of 7.7 ± 3.1) were studied. 32 (74.4 %) belonged to group 1 and 11 (25.6 %) to group 2. After 3 months of BMP, it was noticed a significant improvement of the FII (14.5 ± 3.7 versus 2.8 ± 2.5; p < 0.001) in both groups. QoL perception by the parents and children increased on PedsQL4.0 evaluation (p < 0.001). There was a medium inverse statistically significant correlation of the FII and the total PedsQL4.0 score among children and parents (r = -0.47, p = 0.009 and r = -0, 39, p = 0.03, respectively). CONCLUSION: The BMP applied by a multidisciplinary dedicated team significantly improves the QoL of children with FI in the short-term period.

Gastric contractility in experimental gastroschisis.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The mechanism of fetal gastric dilation in gastroschisis is controversial. This study was designed to characterize changes in the contractile profile of strips of stomach from rats following experimental gastroschisis. METHODS: Pregnant Wistar rats were operated on day 18.5. Fetuses were divided into three groups: gastroschisis (G), sham (S), and control (C). On day 21.5, gastric fundus and antrum strips were obtained and suspended to a force transducer connected to a digital data acquisition system. They were submitted to increasing concentrations of carbachol (CCh) and weighed at the end of each procedure. Frequency and amplitude of each contraction were evaluated. RESULTS: Under basal conditions, spontaneous oscillatory contractions of antrum and fundus strips of G, S, and C were similar (P>0.05; ANOVA). However, cumulative concentrations of CCh (0.01-100 µM) produced different effects in all groups and were characterized by a significant increase in amplitude and frequency of spontaneous contractions in antral smooth muscle and a sustained increase in tonus in fundic strips. Upon analysis, no significant difference in frequency or amplitude was noted in antral tissues comparing C to G and to S (P>0.05). No significant contractility difference was noted in fundic smooth muscle (comparing all groups, P>0.05), with the CCh-induced curve following a typical sigmoidal format, dependent on increasing concentrations (P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Gastric contractile responses to CCh are preserved in experimental gastroschisis. These results do not support the theory that gastric dilation occurs secondary to intestinal inflammation alone.

Effect of different types of fundoplication on the gastric emptying of liquids and gastric compliance in rats.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the early and late effects of partial fundoplication (PFp) and total fundoplication (TFp) on gastric emptying (GE) and on gastric compliance (GC) in rats. METHODS: One hundred fifty-nine male Wistar rats, 6 to 8 weeks of age and weighing 150 to 250 g underwent sham operation, PFp or TFp. They were randomly divided into early group (group E) and late group (group L), evaluated on the 7th and 28th postoperative days, respectively. Gastric emptying studies were performed with and without short-term induction of GE delay. RESULTS: Gastric emptying studies: In group E, TFp altered gastric retention when compared with sham subgroup in rats with GE delay. In group L, neither PFp nor TFp produced changes in GE. Gastric volume-gastric compliance studies: In group E, only TFp reduced significantly gastric volume, but both PFp and TFp caused a significant decrease in GC. A trend toward normalization of gastric volume and GC was perceived in group L. Partial fundoplication did not change the intragastric pressure response in either group E or group L. Total fundoplication increased the intragastric pressure significantly in group E, but this difference disappeared on the 28th postoperative day. CONCLUSIONS: Partial fundoplication induces less change in gastric motor physiology than TFp. These findings provide background to explain some differences in the postoperative course after PFp and TFp.