Tenesmus

Tenesmus

Lucy Walker28/08/2013

2010 Palliative Medicine Curriculum

• “Know about the causes of tenesmus”

• “Assessment and management of tenesmus”

Overview

• Definition• Mechanism• Causes• Assessment• ??Investigations• Management Options

By the end of the session

• Refreshed memory on causes of tenesmus• Better understanding of treatment options

and their evidence base

Tenesmus

• A sensation of incomplete evacuation• Often accompanied by a sensation of urgent

or abnormally frequent desire to defecate with involuntary straining, but little bowel movement

• Can experience painful spasm of the anal sphincter or smooth muscle

Mechanism

• Disorder of rectal motility due to:– Reduced compliance – High amplitude pressure waves in rectal wall– Increased sensitivity to distension

• Mixed nocioceptive and neuropathic elements

Causes

• Carcinoma esp of rectum• Post radiotherapy • Faecal Impaction

• Rectal prolapse/ polyps/ fissure/ adenoma/ internal haemorrhoids• Inflammatory Bowel Disease/ Proctitis• Foreign Body• Infection

Assessment

• When did it start?• Is there a constant urge to empty bowels and

how much stool is passed?• Any abdominal pain and where?• Any diarrhoea and vomiting?• Is blood passed?• Any unusual or high risk foods?• Ill contacts?

Investigations??

• Patient dependant

• Might consider:– Stool culture– Inflammatory markers– Sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy

Management

• Depends on underlying cause

• Prevent constipation with stool softeners• Treat faecal impaction• Antibiotics if confirmed infection

Opiates

• Often a poorly opiate responsive pain (Hanks, 1991) but…– Should still be tried

• ?Methadone– Mercadante et al (2001)• 1 case report suggesting benefit when escalating

Morphine doses unhelpful

Adjuvant Analgesia

• Anticonvulsants

• Amitriptyline– Use with caution as can cause constipation and

exacerbate symptoms

• NSAIDs

Steroids

• Dexamethasone 4-16mg may provide some relief – Peritumour oedema– inflammation

Nitrates & Calcium Chanel Blockers

• GTN paste or 2% ointment– Often not tolerated due to headache

• Nifedipine – McLoughlin & McQuillan, 1997• Reduce smooth muscle spasm so can help with

elements of tenesmus pain• Case series evidence (3/4 patients gained benefit)• 10 to 20mg BD M/R preparation

Radiotherapy

• Can be helpful for symptom control especially if a locally advanced rectal tumour (Midgley & Kerr, 1999)

• Less effective in patients who have had surgery

• May be most useful in those who have not received chemotherapy

Lumbar Sympathectomy

• Bristow (1988)– Prospective study– Bilateral chemical lumbar sympathectomy with phenol– 12 patient with cancers and tenesmus unresponsive to

pharmocological agents– 80% gained complete pain relief, 1 partial and 1 no

relied– All remained symptom free to latest follow up (7

months)– 1 patient had hypotension post op

Epidural or Intrathecals?

• No papers specifically for tenesmus• Local anaesthetic or opiate• Lots of anecdotal reports

Endoscopic Laser Treatment and Metal Expandable Stents

• Laser Treatment:– Gevers (2000)

• Palliative laser therapy for symptom control• 80% (21) of those with “other symptoms” (including

tenesmus) gained symptom relief until death or end of study• 4% perforation rate and 5 (of 219) died due to procedure

• Metal Expandable Stents:– Rey (1995)

• Stents safe to insert and reduce laser sessions• ?more for relieving obstruction than tenesmus

Bulletin Board

• Loperamide

• Botox– ?for radiation proctitis

• Anti-spasmodics at end of life

Summary

• Mixed nocioceptive and neuropathic pain• Consider underlying cause and don’t forget

non-malignant causes• Prevent constipation• Often unresponsive to opiates• No guidelines and no good evidence to

recommend one treatment over another

References• Berger, Shuster & Von Roenn Eds. (2012) Principles and Practice of Palliative Care and

Supportive Oncology. Lippincott William & Wilkins, US• Bristow A & Foster JMG (1998) Lumbar Sympathectomy in the management of rectal

tenesmus pain. Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England. 70: 38-9• Gervers AM et al (2000) Endoscopic laser therapy for palliation of patients with distal

colorectal cancer: analysis of factors including longterm outcome. Gastrointestinal Endoscopy. 51(5):580-5

• Hanks (1991) Opioid-responsive and opioid non-responsive pain in cancer. British Medical Bulletin. 47(3):718-731

• McLoughlin R & McQuillan R (1997) Using Nifedipine to treat tenesmus. 11: 419• Mercadante et al (2001) Methadone in treatment of tenesmus not responding to morphine

escalation. Support Care Cancer 9:129-30• Midgley R & Kerr D (1999) Colorectal Cancer. Lancet 353:391-99• Rey J-F et al (1995) Metal stents for palliation of rectal carcinoma: a preliminary report.

Endoscopy. 27(7):501-4• Sedgwick et al (1994) Pathogenesis of acute radiation injury to the rectum. International

Journal of Colorectal Disease. 9:23-30• book.pallcare.info• Palliativedrugs.com• Oxford Handbook of Palliative Medicine• If you can access them:

– Rich A, Ellershaw E. Tenesmus / rectal pain - how is it best managed? CME Bulletin Palliat Med 2000;2(2):41-44 – Hunt RW. The palliation of tenesmus. Palliat Med 1991;5:352-53