title: Bowel care practices in chronic spinal cord injury patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine current characteristics of bowel care practices of chronic spinal cord injury (SCI) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective interview and examination of 100 SCI patients injured for more than 1 year.
  
  
  METHODS
  Freestanding rehabilitation outpatient SCI center.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred chronic SCI patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The following bowel program characteristics were found: alternate-day programs were most common; most subjects performed their programs in the morning; and tetraplegic subjects performed their programs less often, used suppositories more often, required greater assistance, and took longer to complete their programs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Bowel dysfunction in chronic SCI need not be associated with complications in the majority of cases.
authors.affiliation: Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation, West Orange, NJ 07052, USA.
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Kirshblum
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gulati
authors.forename: K C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: O'Connor
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Voorman
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002400:Cathartics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D002400:Cathartics