Low medication adherence in patients with Short Bowel Syndrome dependent on parenteral nutrition

Abstract

Study design: Cross-sectional. Aim: We aimed to investigate adherence to oral medications in patients with severe Short Bowel Syndrome (SBS). Casuistic and Methods: Ten patients with severe intestinal failure attending a specialized unit in a university hospital were enrolled in this study. All patients received intermittent parenteral nutrition for at least 4 months. The participants (six men and four women) had 56 ± 13 years and body mass index of 18 ± 3 kg/m2. Information related to the use of medications at home was recorded, and adherence behavior was assessed by using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale. Results: Four patients (40%) had high medication adherence. Among patients with low medication adherence, unintentional behavior was observed in two patients, intentional behavior was observed in one patient, and an association of unintentional with intentional behavior was identified in three patients. Conclusion: Outside the hospital setting, most patients with SBS have low adherence to oral medications. These results suggest the development and implementation of targeted strategies aimed to promote awareness and adherence to medication treatment