[Chronic constipation. Use of cisapride]

We studied the effect of Cisapride (10 mg vo every 8 hours) on the characteristics of the evacuations, orocoecal transit time and motility trough rectoanal manometry in patients diagnosed with chronic constipation. The patients (N = 51) received placebo and/or drug in a controlled, randomized, double blind, crossed study during two treatment phases of 30 days each. The end of each phase was followed by a clinical evaluation, a rectoanal manometry and hydrogen breath test. Cisapride increased the rhythm of ecacuations (5.53 days +/- 3.11 vs 1.59 days +/- 1.15 p < 0.05) improved the frequency of evacuations and diminished the consistency of the feces (p < 0.05), shortened the orocoecal transit time (271.57 min +/- 9.87 vs 201.18 min +/- 29.30 p < 0.05) and improved the parameters of the rectoanal manometry readings such as the pressure of internal anal sphincter (58.14 mmHg 7.33 vs 53.90 mmHg 5.19 p < 0.05), and its relaxation percentage (73.41% +/- 15.30 vs 66.84% +/- 11.83 p < 0.05). Side effects associated with Cisapride were not significant. It is concluded that Cisapride improves intestinal motility in chronic constipation.