Publication | Closed Access
Somatostatin Decreases Diarrhea in Patients with the Short-Bowel Syndrome
60
Citations
0
References
1982
Year
NutritionRefractory DiarrheaGastrointestinal PharmacologyGastroenterologyPathologyGastrointestinal Peptide HormoneFunctional Gastrointestinal DisorderShort-bowel SyndromePublic HealthAutoimmune DiseaseAllergyClinical NutritionPharmacologyWatery DiarrheaSomatostatin InfusionDigestive System DiseasesClinical GastroenterologyGastrointestinal PathologyNutritional SciencesMetabolismMedicine
Four patients with chronic, watery diarrhea secondary to Crohn's disease and multiple small-bowel resections received a 24-hour infusion of somatostatin at the rate of 4 μg/ minute. Somatostatin induced a 35% decrease in stool weight (from 1892 ± 241 g/d to 1236 ± 254 g/d, P <0.05), and 59% decrease in stool chloride (Cl) content (from 142 ± 32 mEq/d to 59 ± 26 mEq/d), but had no effect on fecal fat, nitrogen, and other electrolytes. When the somatostatin infusion was discontinued, stool weight and Cl increased more than twofold (P <0.05). Fasting and postprandial glucose levels were increased by 25–40 mg/d. Our findings suggest somatostatin may prove useful in some patients with refractory diarrhea associated with Crohn's disease and the short-bowel syndrome.