[Polyethylene glycol (Macrogol)--an overview of its use in diagnosis and therapy of gastrointestinal diseases].

The pharmacological rationale for the use of polyethylene glycol (PEG) in gastroenterology is its inverse relation between molecular mass and intestinal absorbability, with practically no intestinal absorption at molecular masses exceeding 3000, its lack of intestinal enzymatic degradation or bacterial metabolism, and its water binding capacity. PEG is used as a nonabsorbable marker in the evaluation of small intestinal and colonic absorption and secretion, as a marker for intestinal permeability studies, as an essential component of colonic lavage solutions used for the preparation of the colon for diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, and for the treatment of fecal impaction or chronic constipation. Since PEG has been used for decades, there is extensive data documenting its safety in short term use. Although animal experiments have also proved the safety of chronic PEG administration, the increasing use of PEG for the treatment of chronic constipation in the long term requires further surveillance to establish its safety.