Bowel management in the intensive care unit.
The area of bowel care in the intensive care unit (ICU) is often overlooked in the holistic care of the critically ill individual. With the primary concern of optimising patients to preserve life the problem of bowel care has been given less priority. The guidelines included within this service improvement paper offer a simple approach to bowel care management with the use of an algorithm and visual display score to be used in conjunction with the algorithm. This was developed in the intensive care unit of the Royal Free Hospital, London and is presently in use.
Dorman
Brian P
BP
Intensive Care Unit, Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, Hampstead, London NW3 2QG, UK. brian.dorman@royalfree.nhs.uk
Hill
Chris
C
McGrath
Martin
M
Mansour
Anwar
A
Dobson
Diane
D
Pearse
Tracey
T
Singleton
Julie
J
Al-Omoush
Ayman
A
Barry
Margaret
M
Colongon
Arnell Rhee
AR
Perez
Maricar
M
Fitzgerald
Deborah
D
Zabala
Maregre
M
D000465:Algorithms; D002400:Cathartics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003248:Constipation / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D016638:Critical Illness / Q000451:nursing; D003663:Decision Trees; D003967:Diarrhea / Q000209:etiology / Q000451:nursing*; D004282:Documentation / Q000592:standards; D004509:Education, Nursing, Continuing; D004750:Enteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing / Q000592:standards; D006694:Holistic Health; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training; D020380:Needs Assessment; D009730:Nursing Assessment / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards; D009731:Nursing Audit; D015403:Nursing Evaluation Research; D009737:Nursing Records / Q000592:standards; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000193:education; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods / Q000451:nursing / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D017749:Total Quality Management / Q000458:organization & administration
D002400:Cathartics