Question

Directions:

1.) List 3 factors that affect bowel elimination in patients

2.) List the functions of the following Stool Softeners/Laxatives:Bulk-Forming Laxatives – Osmotic Laxatives – Saline Laxatives – Emollient Laxatives – Stimulant Laxatives –

3.) Explain the purpose of administering an enema to a patient. List 2 types of enemas and explain the difference between the 2.4.) How many categories does the Bristol Stool Form Scale have? Which types are “easy to pass, but difficult to control”?

Answer 1

Ans) 1) Bowel elimination is the way your body rids itself of solid wastes. It can be influenced by lifestyle factors including diet, fluid intake, and physical activity. It can also be influenced by psychological factors and habits as well as age, pregnancy, and the presence of pain.

2) Bulk-forming laxatives add bulk to the stool (faeces) by absorbing water into the gut, making the stool softer and easier to pass. Bulk-forming laxatives also swell or expand in the gut and activate the muscles in the gut to pass stools (faeces).

- Osmotic laxatives are a type of stool softener used in the management of constipation. Osmotic laxatives come in over-the-counter and prescription forms, and they work by increasing the flow of water into the intestines to produce softer and easier-to-pass stools.

- Saline laxatives are used for acute treatment of constipation in the absence of bowel obstruction. These agents may also be used as part of a bowel evacuation protocol for invasive procedures or surgery. These agents increase peristaltic activity of the colon by promoting osmotic retention of fluid.

- Emollient laxatives, also known as stool softeners, are anionic surfactants that enable additional water and fats to be incorporated in the stool, making it easier for them to move through the gastrointestinal tract. Emollient agents prevent constipation rather than treating long-term constipation.

- Stimulant laxatives, also known as contact laxatives, encourage bowel movements by acting on the intestinal wall. They increase the muscle contractions that move along the stool mass. Stimulant laxatives are a popular type of laxative for self-treatment.

3) An enema administration is a technique used to stimulate stool evacuation. It is a liquid treatment most commonly used to relieve severe constipation. The process helps push waste out of the rectum when you cannot do so on your own.

- Sodium biphosphate (Fleet) enemas (1–2 rectally as needed daily) can be used for mild to moderate constipation. Tap water enemas (1 liter) are also useful for bowel cleansing. Oil-based enemas (cottonseed colace, Hypaque) are reserved for refractory cases.

- The Bristol stool scale is a diagnostic medical tool designed to classify the form of human faeces into seven categories. It is used in both clinical and experimental fields.

Bristol stool scale type 1-2 (Separate hard lumps like nuts or sausage-shaped);
† Bristol stool scale type 6-7 (fluffy pieces with ragged edges, soft or watery, no solid or completely liquid pieces);
‡ In the absence of the use of antidiarrhoeal or laxative.

easy to pass, but difficult to control- severe diarrhoea.