Fecal/bowel incontinence is the inability to control bowel movements, causing stool to leak unexpectedly from the rectum. The severity ranges from an occasional leakage of stool while passing gas to a complete loss of bowel control.
Causes Related to abnormal anorectal structure : obstetric trauma, rectal prolapse, or a descending perineum; Neurologic dysfunction : pudendal neuropathy, diabetes mellitus, dementia, stroke, multiple sclerosis, and spinal cord injury; Systemic states : inflammatory bowel disease, systemic sclerosis, or diarrhea resulting from inflammatory bowel disease, post-cholecystectomy, or overflow Important risk factors in women with incontinence not secondary to an underlying systemic illness are diarrhea and urgency Clinical assessment The Bristol Stool Form Scale and stool diaries may be used to accurately classify stool consistency and assess for concurrent,…
