Case study to evaluate a standing table for managing constipation.
Standing devices have been advocated as a potentially beneficial treatment for constipation in persons with spinal cord injury (SCI); however, definitive data are lacking. A case of a patient who requested a standing table to treat chronic constipation is presented as an illustration of a method to address this problem on an individual patient level. The patient was a 62-year-old male with T12-L1 ASIA B paraplegia who was injured in 1965. The patient was on chronic narcotics for severe, nonoperable shoulder pain. His bowel program had been inadequate to prevent impactions. A systematic approach was used to measure the effects of a standing table on frequency of bowel movements (BMs) and on length of bowel care episodes. There was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in frequency of BMs and a decrease in bowel care time with the use of the standing table 5 times/week versus baseline. For this patient, the use of the standing table was a clinically useful addition to his bowel care program.
Hoenig
H
H
Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
Murphy
T
T
Galbraith
J
J
Zolkewitz
M
M
D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D004867:Equipment Design; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011187:Posture; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D014038:Toilet Facilities