🍐 In this episode of PodBites, Habiba Othman and Hayaa Elsherif guide you through constipation — from diagnostic criteria to laxative pharmacology — using clinical reasoning, physiologic mechanisms, and high-yield treatment principles.
🎙️ Tune in to explore:
- The clinical definition of constipation and the Rome IV diagnostic criteria
- The Bristol Stool Chart and how stool form reflects transit time
- The physiology of defecation and the role of autonomic innervation and interstitial cells of Cajal
- Functional, structural, neurologic, metabolic, and medication-induced causes of constipation
- The stepwise diagnostic approach, including alarm features and specialized testing
- First-line management with lifestyle modification and when pharmacologic therapy is needed
- Laxative classes, including bulk, stimulant, osmotic, stool softeners, and lubricants
- Special agents like lactulose and lubiprostone and their clinical indications
🌟 A structured, high-yield guide to understanding constipation, helping you connect physiology, diagnosis, and treatment with confidence.§
