Effectiveness of Laxatives in the Elderly - NIHR Health Technology ...

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Appendix 1
Pre-defined search strategy for
reviews/RCTs
(i) Search performed: 1 and 2 and 3 and 4 and 5.
This result was NOT be limited to English
language publications only.
Exclude PREGNANCY.
(ii) Fluid therapy in constipation
Explode CONSTIPATION/all subheadings
This was combined with the following terms
to pick up all studies (including reviews)
referring to fluid therapy:
FLUID
FLUIDS
HYDRATION
REHYDRATION
FLUID or FLUIDS or HYDRATION
or REHYDRATION
FLUID-THERAPY
This strategy produced 54 hits. A total
of 18 papers examined the role of fluid
in constipation. Of these, 11 were reviews
mentioning the importance of fluid
intake. One was a survey, one a casecontrol
study of risk factors for
constipation. The remaining five studies
were non-comparative studies of
fluid therapy, in all of which fluid
intake was altered in addition to
dietary changes (e.g. by
adding fibre).
(iii) Exercise therapy in constipation
The term constipation and its subheadings
were combined with either
EXERCISE or EXERCISE-THERAPY
or MOBILITY. This produce eight hits,
none of which were studies of the use
of exercise therapy in constipation.