Effect of MiniGo As Add-on to Oral Laxatives for Children with Constipation and Fecal Incontinence

November 13, 2024 updated by: University of Aarhus

The goal of this clinical trial is to compare combination therapy with low volume trans anal irrigation (TAI) and oral laxatives to monotherapy with oral laxatives in children with functional constipation and fecal incontinence.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

  • Can more efficient treatment be achieved with aforementioned combination therapy?
  • Does the well-being of the children change, when they are well treated for their symptoms?
  • Is low-volume trans anal irrigation a tolerable treatment method for children?

Participants will be randomized into 2 groups, where one group is treated with current standard treatment of PEG (oral laxatives), and the other group is treated with PEG + daily low volume TAI.

Study Overview

Detailed Description

Functional constipation and retentive fecal incontinence is a prevalent health issue in children. The current standard treatment regimen in Denmark consists mainly of behavioral interventions and oral laxative treatment. This treatment leaves a large group of non-responders. Suffering from constipation and fecal incontinence has a negative impact on well-being in children, wherefore treatment of this condition should be improved.

Earlier literature shows that trans anal irrigation (TAI) is an effective means of managing these symptoms, both in children and adults. However, conventional high volume TAI is time consuming (up to 45 minutes-an hour daily) and a cause of discomfort, or even pain. This can lead to low compliance and treatment failure.

Low volume TAI has the potential of bringing about all the positive effects of TAI, but with less time consumption (only few minutes daily) and less discomfort.

In this clinical trial, we will compare how children with functional constipation and fecal incontinence respond to treatment with 1) oral laxatives (PEG) alone versus 2) PEG and low volume TAI with the MiniGo-irrigation system.

The intervention period is 6 weeks, and the treatment takes place at home.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

50

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

    • Vælg provins
      • Aalborg, Vælg provins, Denmark, 9000
        • Aalborg Universitetshospital
      • Aarhus, Vælg provins, Denmark, 8200
        • Aarhus Universitetshospital
      • Herning, Vælg provins, Denmark, 7400
        • Regionshospitalet Gødstrup

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

4 years to 14 years (Child)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • age 4-14 years
  • medical history with fecal incontinence >1/week on a non-neurogenic but retentive basis (fulfills ROME-IV-criteria)
  • non-responsive after min. 2 months treatment with polyethylene glycols and behavioral interventions (set times for toilet use)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Hirschsprungs disease
  • anorectal malformations
  • use of medications known to cause constipation (eg. anticholinergics)
  • former use of low or high volume TAI or enemas

Contraindications for use of MiniGo-irrigation device:

  • known stenosis of the rectum or intestinal tract
  • colorectal cancer prior to surgical removal
  • acute inflammatory bowel disease
  • acute diverticulitis
  • within 3 months of surgical procedures in the rectum or intestinal tract
  • within 4 weeks of endoscopic polypectomy
  • ischemic colitis

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: None (Open Label)

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Polyethylene glycols

This group consists of children who have already been treated with oral laxatives (PEG) for at least 2 months, but still experience symptoms of constipation and fecal incontinence.

Their PEG dosage will be adjusted to the ideal dose for the individual child (this will be evaluated by a health care professional), with the minimum dosage being the maintenance dose of 0,5mg/kg/day, and the maximum dosage being the disimpaction dose of 1,5mg/kg/day

To be taken orally on a daily basis throughout the study period (6 weeks) in an adjusted dose.
Experimental: Polyethylene glycols and low volume trans anal irrigation
This group consists of children who have already been treated with oral laxatives (PEG) for at least 2 months, but still experience symptoms of constipation and fecal incontinence. PEG dose will be adjusted in the same manner as in group a, but this group will also receive daily treatment with low volume trans anal irrigation.
To be taken orally on a daily basis throughout the study period (6 weeks) in an adjusted dose.
To be administered rectally on a daily basis throughout the study period (6 weeks) along with an adjusted dose of polyethylene glycols

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Fecal incontinence episodes
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Seeks to measure if there is any significant difference in the amount of fecal incontinence episodes between the two groups after the study period
6 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Well-being
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Seeks to measure if the well-being of the children changes when their symptoms are treated. Measured using the WHO-5-well being index
6 weeks
Tolerability of low volume TAI
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Seeks to investigate whether low volume TAI is tolerated by the children, or if the system causes pain or discomfort.
6 weeks
Constipation symptoms
Time Frame: 6 weeks
Seeks to investigate whether constipation symptoms (based on ROME-IV criteria) change after treatment
6 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Collaborators

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

November 1, 2022

Primary Completion (Actual)

August 20, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

August 20, 2024

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 5, 2022

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 5, 2022

First Posted (Actual)

October 6, 2022

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

November 15, 2024

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

November 13, 2024

Last Verified

November 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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