Presence and severity of constipation in hospice patients with advanced cancer

Abstract

Although constipation is a problem commonly seen in hospice patients it is not often addressed in the literature as a target symptom needing management. The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of self-reported constipation in a group of patients with advanced cancer at admission to hospice and two weeks and one month after admission. The constipation assessment scale (CAS) measured the presence and intensity of constipation. Comparisons between time points were not possible, but trends seem to indicate that patient symptoms are not being successfully managed.