Table 3.
Use of laxatives among patients, n = 261.
| Laxative type | Patients using laxatives, n (%) |
|---|---|
| Use of laxatives as prescribed in the patients record | |
| Laxatives regularly1 and on demand1 | 187 (71.7) |
| Laxatives regularly only | 175 (67.1) |
| (i) Stimulant laxative (A06A B)2 | 87 (33.3) |
| (ii) Osmotic laxatives (A06A D) | 143 (54.8) |
| (iii) Softening laxatives (A06A A) | 1 (0.4) |
| (iv) Microenema (A06AG02 or A06AG11) | 4 (1.5) |
| (v) Bulk laxatives (A06A C) | 0 (0) |
| (vi) Oil enema (A06AG04) | 0 (0) |
| (vii) Minienema (A06AG10) | 0 (0) |
| Use of enemas as reported by nurses | |
| (i) Microenema (A06AG02 or A06AG11) | 78 (30.0) |
| (ii) Oil enema (A06AG04) | 10 (3.9) |
| (iii) Minienema (A06AG10) | 6 (2.3) |
| Number of laxatives per patient3 | |
| 0 | 76 (29.1) |
| 1 | 88 (33.7) |
| 2 | 58 (22.2) |
| 3 | 35 (13.4) |
| 4 | 4 (1.5) |
1Regular use and on demand as prescribed in the patient record.
2Laxatives are grouped according to the Anatomical-Therapeutic-Chemical Classification System (ATC).
3Reported as regular use in the patient record together with the use of microenemas, oil enemas, and minienemas as reported by nurses.