cathartic
Sign in to saveAlso known as cathartics, purgatives, bowel evacuants
In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation. This is similar to a laxative, which is a substance that eases defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathartic. However, agents such as psyllium seed husks increase the bulk of the feces.
Research
27,172 papers- Cathartic action.British medical journal · 1968
- Cathartic colon.The American journal of digestive diseases · 1960
- Cathartic colon.Lancet (London, England) · 1966
- Cathartic-induced fatal hypermagnesemia in the elderly.Internal medicine (Tokyo, Japan) · 2006
- What has happened to the cathartic colon?Gut · 1996
via PubMed
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Article
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In medicine, a cathartic is a substance that accelerates defecation. This is similar to a laxative, which is a substance that eases defecation, usually by softening feces. It is possible for a substance to be both a laxative and a cathartic. However, agents such as psyllium seed husks increase the bulk of the feces.
Cathartics such as sorbitol, magnesium citrate, magnesium sulfate, or sodium sulfate were previously used as a form of gastrointestinal decontamination following poisoning via ingestion. They are no longer routinely recommended for poisonings. High-dose cathartics may be an effective means of ridding the lower gastrointestinal tract of toxins; however, they carry a risk of electrolyte imbalances and dehydration. Catharsis can be an effect of pesticide poisonings, such as with elemental sulfur.