Prefinal - Elimination: Fecal 1 Flashcards
also called bowel movement, it is the act of eliminating solid or semisolid waste materials/ feces from the digestive tract.
Defecation
Composition of feces
- Water
2. Protein
- Fat
- Carbohydrate
- Fiber
___% - ___% of stools are water.
All the water drank by an individual is completely absorbed in the small and large intestine.
65-85%
___% of all fat consumed is absorbed in the small intestine. Fats in excess of ___% in stool are abnormal. (Steatorrhea.)
95%
6%
Simple and complex carbohydrates - sugar and starches in the diet. They are completely absorbed in the small intestine and assimilated in blood as ___, ___, and ___
glucose, fructose, or galactose.
is completely indigestible and gives volume and bulk to stools.
- Fiber
.Fiber
Color of Feces:
You ate greens OR it’s passing too fast
Super Green
Color of Feces:
Okay!
A Little Green
Color of Feces:
You ate Licorice, iron supplements or bismuth medication OR bleeding in the upper intestinal tract
Black
Color of Feces:
Your Bile duct may be blocked
Pale, White, Clay-colored
Color of Feces:
You ate red things OR hemorrhoids OR bleeding in the lower intestine
Red
Color of Feces:
You’re Good!
Any Shade of Brown
Color of Feces:
Too much fat, malabsorption, celiac disease on your diet
Yellow
Normal shape:
Cylindrical, about 2.5 cm (1 inch) in diameter in adults
Normal Consistency
Formed, soft, semisolid, moist
Type 1
Separate hard lumps SEVERE CONSTIPATION
Type 2
Lumpy and sausage-like MILD CONSTIPATION
Type 3
A sausage shape with cracks in the surface NORMAL
Type 4
Like a smooth, soft sausage or snake NORMAL
Type 5
Soft blobs with clear-cut edges LACKING FIBRE
Type 6
Mushy consistency with ragged edges MILD DIARRHEA
Type 7
Liquid consistency with no solid pieces SEVERE DIARRHEA
is a medical aid designed to classify faeces into seven groups. This chart is used by medical professionals, however it is a great tool for anyone wanting to monitor and improve their bowel movements
Bristol Stool Chart
Normal amount:
Varies with diet (About 100 to 400 g per day)
Normal odor:
Aromatic, affected by ingested food and the person’s own bacterial flora
Abnormal odor:
Pungent (sharply strong) Infection, blood
Factors Affecting Bowel Elimination:
Age
Diet
Fluid Intake
Emotional Stress
Position
Physical Activity
Personal Habits
Presence of discomfort or pain
Pregnancy
Medications
As we age, this metabolism slows down, and this can cause food to move slowly through the colon. When things slow down, more water gets absorbed from food waste, which can cause constipation.
- Age
Fiber is essential in any diet because it adds bulk. It also makes it easier for feces to pass through the intestines.
- Diet
Increasing water intake can help a person have more regular bowel movements and reduce
symptoms in elimination.
- Fluid Intake
Stress increases peristalsis resulting in diarrhea and abdominal distention.
- Emotional Stress
The best position for bowel elimination is squatting. This position encourages the pelvic floor to relax.
- Position
The higher the activity the lower the person will manifest constipation.
- Physical Activity
A person may be hesitant to move their bowel due to the presence of hemorrhoids or have undergone rectal surgeries or abdominal surgeries.
- Presence of discomfort or pain
The fetus is lying on the mother’s GI Tract which affects peristalsis by slowing the movement and constipation results.
- Pregnancy
Laxative overuse can decrease muscle tone and can cause LBM.
- Medications
Common Alterations in Bowel Elimination:
Constipation
Fecal Impaction
Flatulence
Diarrhea
Fecal Incontinence
The best position for bowel elimination is ___. This position encourages the pelvic floor to relax.
squatting
The best exercise for bowel movement is ___
ambulation
is an elimination problem characterized by dry, hard stool that is difficult to pass. Various accompanying signs and symptoms include the following:
o Complaints of abdominal fullness or bloating
o Abdominal distention
* Complaints of rectal fullness or pressure
o Pain on defecation
o Decreased frequency of bowel movements o Inability to pass stool
o Changes in stool characteristics such as hard small stool
Constipation
Four types of constipation:
Primary or simple
Secondary
Iatrogenic
Pseudoconstipation
results from lifestyle factors such as inactivity, inadequate intake of fiber, insufficient fluid intake, or ignoring the urge to defecate
Primary or simple constipation
is a consequence of a pathologic disorder such as a partial bowel obstruction. It usually resolves when the primary cause is treated.
Secondary constipation
occurs as a consequence of other medical treatments. For example, prolonged use of narcotic analgesia tends to cause constipation.
latrogenic constipation
referred to as perceived constipation, is a term used when clients believe themselves to be constipated even though they are not.
Pseudoconstipation,
Constipation for the Prevention & management of Constipation
- Adequate intake of diet & fluid
- Adequate intake of fiber/roughage in diet
- Establishing a habit pattern
- Relaxation
- Privacy
- Posture
- Exercise
- Use of laxatives, suppositories & enemas
Hardened stool that is stuck in the rectum or lower colon due to chronic
constipation. It occurs in people who’ve been constipated for a long time.
2. FECAL IMPACTION
Management for fecal impaction:
- Laxatives
- Enema
- Manual removal of stool (digital evacuation)
otherwise known as the manual removal of stool
(digital evacuation)
(excessive accumulation of intestinal gas) results from swallowing air while
eating.
3. FLATULENCE
is the urgent passage of watery stool and commonly is accompanied by abdominal cramping. Simple diarrhea usually begins suddenly and lasts for a short period.
4. DIARRHEA
Usually, diarrhea is a means of eliminating an irritating substance such as ___
tainted food or intestinal pathogens.
Diarrhea Management
- Replacement of fluid & electrolyte
- Avoid spicy & allergic food
- Make arrangements for the use of a bedpan or commode
- Care of skin
- Adequate rest
- Psychological support
- Medication like antidiarrhoeal
is the inability to control the elimination of stool.
- FECAL INCONTINENCE
Manual Extraction (Digital Evacuation)
◇ If a person is thought to have a fecal impaction, the nurse will perform a digital examination.
◇ During the digital examination, a finger is inserted into the person’s rectum to feel for the impacted mass (digital means “finger”).
is an introduction of fluid into the lower bowel through the rectum for cleansing or to introduce medication or nourishment
Enema
Purpose of Enema:
To stimulate defecation & treat constipation ex: a simple evacuant enema
To administer medication ex: sedative enema
To protect and soothe the mucus membrane of the intestine & to check diarrhoea ex: emollient enema
To soften hard fecal matter ex: an oil enema
To destroy intestinal parasites ex: anthelmintic enema
To relieve the gaseous distention ex: carminative enema
To administer the fluid and nutrients ex: nutritive enema
To relieve inflammation ex: astringent enema
To induce peristalsis ex: purgative enema
To stimulate a person in shock and collapse ex: a stimulant enema
To make diagnosis ex: barium enema
To clean the bowels prior to x-rav studies, visualization of the bowel, surgery on the bowel, or delivery of a baby ex: saline enema
* To establish regular bowel functions during a bowel training program
To induce anesthesia ex: an anesthetic enema
To reduce the temperature ex: cold enema or ice enema
Classification of Enema:
Evacuant Enema
Retained Enema
