Bowel Elimination

Question 1

Cathartic

Answer 1

a substance that accelerates defecation

Question 2

Colostomy

Answer 2

a surgical operation in which a piece of the colon is diverted to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall so as to bypass a damaged part of the colon

Question 3

Constipation

Answer 3

a condition in which there is difficulty in emptying the bowels, usually associated with hardened feces

Question 4

Endoscopy

Answer 4

a way of looking inside the body using a flexible tube that has a small camera on the end of it. This instrument is called an endoscope. There are many types of endoscopes. Each one is named according to the organs or areas they are used to examine

Question 5

Enema

Answer 5

a procedure in which liquid or gas is injected into the rectum, typically to expel its contents, but also to introduce drugs or permit X-ray imaging

Question 6

Fecal Impaction

Answer 6

a solid, immobile bulk of human feces that can develop in the rectum as a result of chronic constipation. A related term is fecal loading which refers to a large volume of stool in the rectum of any consistency

Question 7

Flatus

Answer 7

gas in or from the stomach or intestines, produced by swallowing air or by bacterial fermentation

Question 8

Hemorrhoids

Answer 8

a swollen vein or group of veins in the region of the anus

Question 9

Ileostomy

Answer 9

a surgical operation in which a piece of the ileum is diverted to an artificial opening in the abdominal wall

Question 10

Occult Blood

Answer 10

Blood that is present in amounts too small to be seen and can be detected only by chemical analysis or microscopic examination.

Question 11

Ostomy

Answer 11

an artificial opening in an organ of the body, created during an operation such as a colostomy, ileostomy, or gastrostomy; a stoma

Question 12

Paralytic Ileus

Answer 12

the occurrence of intestinal blockage in the absence of an actual physical obstruction. This type of blockage is caused by a malfunction in the nerves and muscles in the intestine that impairs digestive movement

Question 13

Peristalsis

Answer 13

the involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles of the intestine or another canal, creating wavelike movements that push the contents of the canal forward

Question 14

Stoma

Answer 14

an artificial opening made into a hollow organ, especially one on the surface of the body leading to the gut or trachea

Question 15

Valsalva Maneuver

Answer 15

the action of attempting to exhale with the nostrils and mouth, or the glottis, closed. This increases pressure in the middle ear and the chest, as when bracing to lift heavy objects, and is used as a means of equalizing pressure in the ears