[Use of oral drugs and short bowel syndrome: an analysis of practices]

Abstract

Objective: To describe drug prescription patterns in patients with short bowel syndrome (SBS).

Methods: The drug prescriptions of patients suffering from SBS type 1 to 3 were compared.

Results: Seventy-nine percent of the drugs were prescribed by oral route, and this proportion was significantly higher in patients with type 3 compared to tose with type 1. Twenty-nine percent of prescriptions were dietary supplement-drugs, 14.3% were gastrointestinal drugs and 11.4% were cardiovascular drugs. Oral prescription medications for SBS concerned many drug categories. The number of gastrointestinal or dietary supplement drugs was comparable between the 3 types. Drug doses were not increased compared with the recommendations, except for gastrointestinal drugs.

Conclusion: The oral administration is common and at usual dosage in patients with SBS despite a lack of studies on absorption that may help to individualize drug prescription.