Fecal Elimination Flashcards
Duodenocolic reflex
The feeling of having to poop, develops around 22 months
Meconium
First feces of a newborn
Cause of black, tarry stool
Upper GI blood
Cause of reddish brown or maroon blood
Lower GI blood
Cause of clay colored stool
Bilirubin obstruction, liver issues
Cause of yellow green stool
High fat content
Valsalva maneuver
- Take a deep breath against a closed glottis, contract abdominal maneuver, contract pelvic floor muscles
- Hold nose and blow forcefully through nose
- Coughing
Effects of Valsalva maneuver
dizziness, unclog ears, lower blood pressure, reset heart rhythm
Constipation or diarrhea
Opioids cause…
constipation
Constipation or diarrhea
Antibiotics cause…
diarrhea
Colon is diverted through a stoma
colostomy
When ileum is diverted through a stoma
Ileostomy
Two types of pouches that can be used on colostomy
J pouch, Kock
Normal stoma assessment findings
Bright, beefy red and present on the abdominal surface
Abnormal stoma assessment findings
- Dusky or bluish tint can indicate inadequate circulation
- Stoma retracting feces can enter abdominal cavity and cause peritonitis
When should an ostomy pouch be emptied
1/4 to 1/3 full
What do you rinse an ostomy pouch with after emptying?
clean, warm tap water (60 mL syringe works well)
What to do if fecal contents leak around where the ostomy pouch is attached to the skin?
Entire bag must be removed and replaced
How long do you have to listen to confirm bowel sounds are absent?
1-2 minutes per quadrant (5 minutes total)
How often are normal bowel sounds heard?
5-15 seconds apart
Bowels are [hyper/hypo]active after surgery
hypoactive
Several days of constipation followed by an involuntary loose bowel movement that does not relieve feeling of bloating or fullness
fecal impaction
Diarrhea has [hyper/hypo]active gastric motility and [hyper/hypo]active bowel sounds
hyper/hyper
cause of fecal incontinence
neurological injury, spinal cord injury, altered mental status
Post surgery, many patients will experience this when they ambulate
flatulence
What kind of foods can increase flatulence
high-fiber (introduce a person gradually into a new diet high in fiber)
Distention is a [normal/abnormal] finding
abnormal – requires follow up
What type of bowel activity could lead to an order for a stool specimen and culture?
Diarrhea or altered color
Barium GI imaging can lead to what after the test?
Constipation, white appearance (increase fluids and administer a laxative)
Pre-test considerations for barium imaging
Bowel prep: Remove stool from bowels with laxative or enema
Upper GI test
Esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD
Lower GI tests
Sigmoidoscopy, colonoscopy (preferred)
laxative type
hydrophilic, nonabsorbable fibers attract water into the large intestine
bulk
Loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate are examples of….
antidiarrheals
Indication for fecal microbiota transplant
used for persistent c diff
Bowel training
Routine developed around a specific time of day to achieve soft stool consistency, used for individuals with neurological impairment
Types of enema
small-volume: mineral oil and steroids
large-volume: tap water or saline
return-flow: removes flatus
Indication for an enema
Promote bowel movement, clear bowel area before a procedure
NG tube insertion indications
Nasogastric decompression, gastric lavage, gastric feeding
How to confirm placement of NG tube
X-ray
