Patient Safety & Nursing Healthcare

Biography

Biography: Naznin Esphani

Abstract

Constipation is a common digestive complaint , and often distressing to patients, Patients, many a time a time, may be oblivious to the fact that they are silently and gradually mounting excessive colonic fecal retention/impaction despite everyday bowel movements. Patients with constipation/ silent excessive colonic fecal retention ± fecal impaction (ECFR ± FI) may not only experience heavy symptom burden, and  impaired quality of life but the economic burden due to constipation, and/or  its potential complications, on the patient, caregiver and the healthcare industry is enormous. Constipation/silent constipation, if left untreated/undertreated, may potentially cause catastrophic complications, or maybe lethal. A retrospective chart review on 100 patients with gastrointestinal symptoms showed  that of the  the 100 patients enrolled who were found to have significant coprostasis on abdominal xray, 54 (54%) did not complaint of constipation. Radiologists reported evidence of coprostasis in only 56% .Of the 64 (64%) patients who were treated for coprostasis, 24 (24%) were probably adequately treated, 26 patients were inadequately treated, and 14 patients were probably inadequately treated.   Constipation/Silent Constipation and/or its potential complications ought to be prevented, and considered in the differential diagnosis for any gastrointestinal symptoms (or constipation equivalent symptoms), and appropriately addressed. Health professionals from all disciplines including clinicians, nursing staff, nurse auxiliary, , need education, on  the simple  tools to prevent evaluate, diagnose, and manage  constipation/silent constipation appropriately. Constipation has to be revisited and clinicians/medical residents/students/nursing students/nursing staff, other ancillary medical staff has to get familiarized with term “ Silent Constipation. An interdisciplinary approach may be needed to manage constipation/silent constipation.