Continence Care Part 5: Management of Bowel Dysfunction

Course overview

After completing a comprehensive assessment of a patient's bowel function and capturing at least 3 to 7 days of bowel patterns, the rehabilitation nurse can initiate interventions to address the predominant symptom of either constipation or loose stool with or without fecal incontinence. This course will describe the various presentations of bowel dysfunction as it relates to underlying gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal or neurological deficits. Evidence based nursing care recommendations that are the least invasive and least expensive will be discussed. Pharmacologic treatment will be presented and the use of these interventions as they impact the functional independence measure. The symptoms of neurogenic bowel, constipation and loose stool (with or without diarrhea/fecal incontinence) will be presented in association to various underlying pathologies and options for management will be presented. Prevention strategies that avoid constipation and diarrhea through natural and behavioral interventions will be presented, with emphasis on the rehabilitation nurse's role to education patients and their caregivers.