Research carried out by CEDIMI researchers gains international prominence

Research conducted by Medicine course professor Glícia Abreu, PhD in Medicine and Human Health (Bahiana), guided by the coordinator of the Center for Voiding Disorders in Childhood (CEDIMI/Bahiana), Dr. Ubirajara Barroso, has just instituted a new method for assessing the prevalence of constipation in children. The study, carried out in collaboration with the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (UFJF), was recently published in the Journal of Pediatric Urology, one of the most important scientific journals in the area of ​​urology, gained notoriety in the Brazilian press, being highlighted by newspapers such as Estadão and O Globo.

The research noted that the most common assessment method, Rome IV, had some limitations. It consists of six questions, with two positive answers confirming the presence of constipation. The researchers at Bahiana observed that, although this approach is effective in confirming the diagnosis, it does not allow identifying the severity of the problem. Therefore, the new study adapted and validated the Cleveland Constipation Score (CCS) for pediatric use. Originally developed to assess constipation in adults, the CCS was modified to adapt to the reality of children and adolescents, including linguistic adjustments and the reformulation of certain questions, with alternatives that go beyond “yes” and “no”.

According to Ubirajara Barroso, this adaptation of the CCS allows not only the confirmation of the diagnosis, but also the quantification of the severity of constipation, thus enabling the prescription of more effective treatments. Furthermore, the new method eliminates the need for a digital rectal examination, which, in some cases, is required by Rome IV to confirm constipation in children. The study involved the analysis of 100 children and showed that the new method has high agreement with Rome IV. “This indicates that the adapted questionnaire is effective in diagnosing constipation in children, providing consistent results”, explains Glícia Abreu.