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©The Author(s) 2025. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. Dec 22, 2025; 16(4): 112019
Published online Dec 22, 2025. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v16.i4.112019
Published online Dec 22, 2025. doi: 10.4291/wjgp.v16.i4.112019
Constipation in critically ill adults
Yuri Kim, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore 119228, Singapore
Kay C See, Department of Medicine, National University Hospital, Singapore 119228, Sin
Author contributions: Kim Y drafted the manuscript, designed the tables, and performed literature review and analysis; See KC provided overall supervision and critically reviewed and edited the manuscript; and all authors thoroughly reviewed and endorsed the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Yuri Kim, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, 1E Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119228, Singapore. yurikim6232@gmail.com
Received: July 16, 2025
Revised: August 25, 2025
Accepted: December 1, 2025
Published online: December 22, 2025
Processing time: 159 Days and 17.1 Hours
Revised: August 25, 2025
Accepted: December 1, 2025
Published online: December 22, 2025
Processing time: 159 Days and 17.1 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: Constipation is a frequently overlooked complication in critically ill adults that adversely affects clinical outcomes. This review synthesizes current evidence on its complex pathophysiology, multifactorial etiology and diagnostic challenges within the intensive care unit. It underscores the importance of timely recognition and comprehensive management strategies combining both therapeutic and preventive strategies. By highlighting gaps in standardized diagnostic criteria and therapeutic protocols, this article advocates for further research to establish evidence-based guidelines aimed at improving patient prognosis and quality of care in the intensive care unit.