• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.63 no.12
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• pp.485-490
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• 2020

Background: Recurrent abdominal pain (RAP) is one of the frequent complaints in general practice, particularly in pediatrics and is among the common cause of referral to gastroenterology clinics. Purpose: This study is designed to investigate the effects of probiotics for the treatment of RAP and desired therapeutic outcomes. Methods: One hundred twenty-five children with the diagnosis of RAP according to Rome III criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional abdominal pain (FAP), functional dyspepsia (FD), and abdominal migraine (AM), were enrolled in this double-blind randomized controlled trial. Results: Sixty-five subjects received probiotics, and others received placebo treatment for 4 weeks. Lactobacillus reuteri was therapeutically effective in 32 patients compared to 8 patients, responding to the placebo treatment. Compared to baseline, all pain-related variables showed a significant reduction for the IBS and FD at the end of the 4th week. However, it did not respond well in FAP and AM groups. Pain-related outcomes such as, frequency of the pain, severity, and duration of the pain were decreased following the probiotic treatment. No therapeutic response was seen in AM group after the administration of probiotics. L. reuteri significantly led to pain relief in the overall population, and also in FAP, FD, and IBS subgroups. Conclusion: L. reuteri probiotics are likely to lead to RAP relief and can be recommended for the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.885-891
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• 2020

Objectives: The aim of this case report was to present the effects of Korean medicine treatment in a patient with functional abdominal pain. Methods: A 24-year-old female patient was treated with Sogeonjung-tang and Gammaekdaejo-tang extract granules with acupuncture therapy. Abdominal pain and soreness were assessed daily with a numeric rating scale (NRS) Results: With 7 days of treatment, abdominal pain was relieved from NRS 7 to NRS 3. By the 6th day of treatment, abdominal soreness had disappeared. Conclusion: These results show that functional abdominal pain can be relieved with Korean medicine treatment. However, further well-designed studies are required to confirm these findings.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.121-131
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• 2009

Objectives This study is to report a case that has an important meaning as a result of treating functional dyspepsia with oriental treatment. We investigated functional dyspepsia in 6 years child who had to continue abdominal distention for a month after gastroenteritis. The child has recovered from all dyspepsia symptoms after treating with oriental medicine. Methods The patient had dyspepsia symptoms all day, especially repeated abdominal distention. He sometimes had nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain. For those symptoms, we treated him with herbal medicine and acupuncture. The aim of treatment was to improve functional dyspepsia without western treatment. We measured patient's abdomen circumference for change of abdominal distention. Results The symptoms of functional dyspepsia were vanished and the patient maintains his condition with oriental medicine treatment without western treatment. After herb medicine treatment and acupuncture treatment the patient's dyspepsia symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and abdominal distention) were vanished and maintained his condition for two months after complete the treatment. Conclusions This study showed that oriental medicine can elevate the functional dyspepsia children's quality of life with continuous health care and treatment. For more accurate studies, further studies would be needed with more cases.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.25 no.6
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• pp.510-518
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• 2022

Purpose: Recently, great interest has been focused on dietary fermentable oligosaccharides, disaccharides, monosaccharides, and polyols (FODMAPs) for the treatment of functional abdominal pain (FAP). Several meta-analyses, including those on the adult population, have been published, potentiating its role. However, pediatric studies are scarce. We aimed to evaluate the effect of a low-FODMAP diet on the severity of FAP in children. Methods: This clinical trial included 50 patients aged 3-18 years with irritable bowel syndrome and FAP that were not otherwise specified. The patients were instructed to receive a low FODMAP diet guided by a dietitian. The primary outcome was the percentage of responders after 2 months of dietary intervention compared with baseline. Other outcomes included changes in stool consistency and quality of life (QoL) scores using the KIDSCREEN-10 questionnaire, and weight-for-age z-scores. Results: After the dietary intervention, 74% of patients showed more than 30% lower pain intensity, as examined using the Wong-Baker Faces pain rating scale. Their QoL significantly improved, and patients have gained weight. Conclusion: A low FODMAP diet can improve pain intensity and QoL among children with functional abdominal pain, with no detrimental effects on body weight.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.104-121
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• 2021

Objectives The purpose of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of herbal medication for the treatment of functional abdominal pain in children by analyzing randomized controlled trials conducted in China. Methods Literatures from China National Knowledge Infrastructure published up to 23 November, 2020 were searched. Then they were collected and analyzed by their publication year, demographic information, treatment methods used, duration of illnesses, duration of treatments, follow-up periods, outcome measurement and adverse events. Results A total of 27 studies were selected for the analysis. In all studies, the total efficacy of the herbal medicine treatment group was reported to be higher than that of the control group. The most frequently used medical herb was Root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fischer (甘草). The most frequently used classes of herbal medications are Qi regulating medicine (理氣藥), Qi tonics (補氣藥), Aromatic wet medicine (芳香化濕藥), and Digestant (消食藥). The adverse events rate for the herbal medicine treatment group were significantly lower than those in the Western medicine treatment group. Conclusions This study showed that herbal medicine treatment can be effective and safe option for treating pediatric functional abdominal pain. However, additional well-designed clinical studies are needed to solidify the findings.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.110-116
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• 2022

Objectve: To inform a clinical usefulness of Nangan-geon (暖肝煎) decoction to treat a refractory abdominal pain especially in eldery. Methods: This case report presents an 85-year old male patient who had been suffered with a refractory abdominal pain without any abnormality in laboratory test and radiological examination for 5-years. The clinical outcome was observed by numerical rating scale (NRS) of self-reporting method. Results: Based on his previous multiple normal examination results from Western hospitals and clinical features including thin body (19.6 BMI), nocturnal pain around lower abdomen and cold-sensitivity, author diagnosed him as "deficiency and cold of liver-Qi (肝氣虛寒)" similar to intestinal spasm. After prescription with Nangan-geon (暖肝煎) for one month, all symptoms became improved notably (NRS 5), and almost completely recovered as a level of normal condition in 3 months (NRS 1). Conclusion: This study would show the potential of traditional Korean medicine (TKM) therapies for a refractory functional abdominal pain, and especially efficacy of Nangan-geon against cold-pattern of nonspecific abdominal pain in elderly patients.

• The Journal of Internal Korean Medicine
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.604-611
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• 2009

Objectives : The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between headache and gastric dysmotility in patients with functional dyspepsia by using electrogastrogram and bowel sounds analysis. Methods : 127 patients(male 40, female 87) with functional dyspepsia were enrolled. By using inquiry and the questionnaire, we examined whether each patient had headache and abdominal pain. All patients were divided into 4 groups according to the above symptoms. Gastric motility was measured during the fasting-postprandial state by using electrogastrogram and bowel sounds analysis. Results : 33 patients complained of headache. There was a significant difference between headache patients and non-headache patients in gastric arrhythmia of the fasting state. Moreover, in headache patients without abdominal pain, postprandial improvement of gastric arrhythmia was poorer than the other groups. So, headache patients without abnormal pain had more severe gastric myoelectrical rhythm disorder than headache patients with abdominal pain. Conclusion : Headache could be one of symptoms induced by gastric dysmotility in patients with functional dyspepsia. Especially, headache in functional dyspepsia was related to gastric arrhythmia.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.50 no.7
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• pp.655-659
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• 2007

Purpose : The aim of this study was to document the causes of chronic abdominal pain in children referred to a hospital setting and evaluate the frequency and characteristics of functional gastrointestinal disorder (FGID) classified by Rome III criteria. Methods : One hundred thirty two patients with chronic abdominal pain were evaluated. Examinations were performed in order to find organic causes in patients when organic disease was suspected. Results : Among the 132 patients, 20 patients (15.2%) had organic diseases and 112 patients (84.8%) were diagnosed as having FGIDs. Functional dyspepsia was the most common cause of FGIDs, followed by irritable bowel syndrome. Overlap of some FGIDs was observed in seven patients (5.3%). Conclusion : FGIDs are the main causes of chronic abdominal pain in children and functional dyspepsia was the most prevalent disorder.

• The Journal of Pediatrics of Korean Medicine
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.139-152
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• 2004

Objective: The aim of this study was to find about relation between Chiljung(七情) and chronic recurrent abdominal pain in children. Methods: It was surveyed the oriental medical book concerning Chiljung(七情) and western medical book concerning Chronic recurrent abdominal pain. Results: Chronic recurrent abdominal pain which is common disorder in children is mostly functional abdominal pain due to stress. The Stress can be defined as spiritual factor which lead to imbalance of body homeostasis in medicine. In oriental medicine, it is considered as Chiljung(七情) disorder. The gastrointestinal disease due to stress are peptic ulcer, chronic gastritis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic abdominal pain, vomitting etc. In oriental medicine pathology mechanism, it is considered as discord with liver and spleen, depression of spleen-energy. It comes within the category of depression. Children with chronic recurrent abdominal pain is dependent on parents and they have an introspective nature, compulsive idea which is intolerable for failure.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.223-231
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• 2014

Purpose: With previous methods based on only age and location, there are many difficulties in identifying the etiology of acute abdominal pain in children. We sought to develop a new systematic classification of acute abdominal pain and to give some helps to physicians encountering difficulties in diagnoses. Methods: From March 2005 to May 2010, clinical data were collected retrospectively from 442 children hospitalized due to acute abdominal pain with no apparent underlying disease. According to the final diagnoses, diseases that caused acute abdominal pain were classified into nine groups. Results: The nine groups were group I "catastrophic surgical abdomen" (7 patients, 1.6%), group II "acute appendicitis and mesenteric lymphadenitis" (56 patients, 12.7%), group III "intestinal obstruction" (57 patients, 12.9%), group IV "viral and bacterial acute gastroenteritis" (90 patients, 20.4%), group V "peptic ulcer and gastroduodenitis" (66 patients, 14.9%), group VI "hepatobiliary and pancreatic disease" (14 patients, 3.2%), group VII "febrile viral illness and extraintestinal infection" (69 patients, 15.6%), group VIII "functional gastrointestinal disorder (acute manifestation)" (20 patients, 4.5%), and group IX "unclassified acute abdominal pain" (63 patients, 14.3%). Four patients were enrolled in two disease groups each. Conclusion: Patients were distributed unevenly across the nine groups of acute abdominal pain. In particular, the "unclassified abdominal pain" only group was not uncommon. Considering a systemic classification for acute abdominal pain may be helpful in the diagnostic approach in children.