The American journal of gastroenterology
-
Am. J. Gastroenterol. · Feb 2010
Multicenter Study Controlled Clinical TrialDo stool form and frequency correlate with whole-gut and colonic transit? Results from a multicenter study in constipated individuals and healthy controls.
Despite a lack of supportive data, stool form and stool frequency are often used as clinical surrogates for gut transit in constipated patients. The aim of this study was to assess the correlation between stool characteristics (form and frequency) and gut transit in constipated and healthy adults. ⋯ Stool form predicts delayed vs. normal transit in adults. However, only a moderate correlation exists between stool form and measured whole-gut or colonic transit time in constipated adults. In contrast, stool frequency is a poor surrogate for transit, even in those with reduced stool frequency.