Docusate in the Hospital: Cut the Crap

Everybody poops. There’s a book about it. Read it. It’s worth your while. You know what’s not worth your while? Something that I’ve been guilty of doing my whole career. Providing docusate just because. I’m a bit embarrassed but I was sent this article by bedsideroundz and doctorwarsgame yesterday evening so I could take this apart. Well, no need for me to take it apart. The authors did a great job at reviewing the data and concluding that we should just stop prescribing docusate. Hope no one holds shares in the companies who manufacture this medication as it is earning them $100,000,000 a year for a product with crappy results. Was that a pun? Perhaps the most important part of the article is towards the end where they provide recommendations regarding alternatives. I know what the nurses in the crowd are saying... “oh I’m not going to request lactulose for my patient”. Everything in moderation, team. Bowel movements are importante. 💩

-EJ

Link to Article

Link to PDF

Robert J Fakheri, MD, Frank M Volpicelli, MD, Things We Do for No Reason: Prescribing Docusate for Constipation in Hospitalized Adults. J. Hosp. Med 2019;2;110-113. doi:10.12788/jhm.3124

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