Constipation prophylaxis in children undergoing orthopedic surgery: A quasi-experimental study.

Purpose: This study evaluated the effectiveness of constipation prophylaxis administered with the support of an advanced practice nurse.

Design: A quasi-experimental study with a historical control group of 112 pediatric (age 1-18) orthopedic patients and an intervention group of 59 patients was conducted in a surgical ward in Switzerland.

Results: The implementation of a standardized constipation prophylaxis led to an absolute risk reduction (27%) of constipation. Fisher's exact test showed a significant difference in the prevalence of constipation in the two samples, p = .001.

Practice Implications: Constipation prophylaxis is a necessity in pediatric orthopedics.