Bowel/Bladder Flashcards
Constipation
Symptom not a disease. Intestinal motility slows, fecal masses become exposed and most of the fecal water is absorbed causing a hard mass and a painful defecation
Cathartic
Softens the stool, harsher then a laxative
Diarrhea
Liquified stool, intestinal contents pass through the small and large intestine too quickly to allow for the usual absorption of fluid and nutrients. As a result feces become watery and the patient is unable to control the urge to defecate
Endoscopy
Testing that requires visualization of the GI tract
Enema
Promote defecation by stimulating the peristalsis
Paralytic ileus
Any surgery that involves direct manipulation of the bowels that temporarily stops peristalsis
Micturition
Process of urination
Meatus
Opening that allows urine to flow out
Nocturia
Frequent urination at night
Overflow incontinence
Occurs when a bladders overly full and bladder pressure exceeds sphincters pressure, often resulting in involuntary leakage of urine
Reflex incontinence
This condition causes loss of voluntary control of urination; but the
micturition reflex pathway often remains intact, allowing urination to occur without sensation or the need to avoid
Residual incontinence
Referred to as post void residual. Volume of urine remaining in the bladder after a normal voiding.
Specific gravity
The weight or degree of concentration of a substance compared with an equal volume of water
Stress incontinence
Involuntary leakage of urine during increased abdominal pressure in the absence of bladder muscle contraction
Urge incontinence
Urge to urinate
Urgency
Strong desire to urinate
Normal bowel sounds
High pitched, irregular, gurgling noises. Occur every 5-20 seconds in all quadrants
Hyperactive bowel sounds
Low, gurgling, Rushed sounds that are also called borborygmi.. Sounds may occur in one, several or all of the quads.
Hypoactive bowel sounds
Soft, low and widely separated so only one or two may be heard over two minutes. These sounds may occur in one or several or all of the quadrants.
Absent bowel sounds
If no sounds in a quadrant are heard for 3 to 5 minutes, bowel sounds are considered to be absent in one, several or all the quadrants.
Types of enemas
Cleansing, oil retention, tap water, soap suds, normal saline
Cleansing enema
Promotes complete evacuation of feces from the colon
Oil retention enema
Lubricates the colon, the feces absorb the oil making it softer and easier to pass
Glycosuria
Sugar in urine
Stoma
Temporary or permanent, artificial opening in the abdominal wall
Ileostomy
Surgical openings are created in the ileum
Fecal incontinence
Inability to control passage of feces and gas from the anus
Hematuria
Blood in urine
Proteinuria
Protein/albumin in urine
Pyuria
Pus in urine
Dysuria
Painful/ burning when urinating
Hesitancy
Delay in urinating even though the feeling to urinate is there
Frequency
Urinating often in small amounts
Enuresis
Bed wetting in children after voluntary control should have been achieved (5years or older)
Colostomy
Surgical opening in the colon
Normal saline enema
Safest solution for an enema. Same osmotic pressure as fluids in interstitial spaces surrounding the bowels
Nephron
Functional unit of the kidney, forms the urine
Renal calculus
Kidney stones
Over active bladder (OAB)
Results from sudden, involuntary contraction of the muscles of the bladder
Fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
Or Guaiac test. Measures microscopic amounts of blood in feces
