Opioid-induced constipation in intensive care patients: relief in sight?

Constipation is the most common gastrointestinal complication
associated with opioid therapy in chronic pain patients, and also
frequently occurs in sedated intensive care unit patients.
Conventional therapy may not provide sufficient relief from
constipation, which can be severe enough to limit opioid use or the
dose. In a recent study on terminally ill patients suffering from
laxative-resistant opioid-induced constipation, Thomas and
colleagues demonstrated subcutaneous methylnaltrexone to rapidly
induce defecation. This appealing result might also have favourable
prospects for intensive care patients, as their outcome is often
codetermined by recovery of bowel functioning.