[Results of national survey of specialists on the clinical evaluation of faecal incontinence].
BACKGROUND
Faecal incontinence is a high prevalence disease in the general population. The aims of this study were to analyse which severity grading systems of faecal incontinence are used in Spain and to find out if there are differences in their use among specialists who manage these patients.


METHODS
A postal questionnaire survey was sent to all hospitals of the National Health Service in Spain in order to study the attitudes and opinions of general surgery and gastroenterology specialists regarding the clinical evaluation of patients with faecal incontinence.


RESULTS
Ninety-nine questionnaires were returned fully completed (65 surgeons and 34 gastroenterologists). Only 41.8% of responders used a diary card systematically (46.8% surgeons vs. 32.3% gastroenterologists; p = 0.05). The Wexner score is the most widely grading system used in clinical practice (85.8% surgeons vs. 50% gastroenterologists; p = 0.01). The most relevant issues in the evaluation of these patients were considered: Type of faecal incontinence, frequency of leakage and quality of life. Finally, 85.5% of those questioned said that the universal acceptance of severity grading systems by all specialists would be an improvement, and 98.9% considered it useful to start a national plan of information regarding clinical evaluation of faecal incontinence in Spain.


CONCLUSIONS
There is variability in how faecal incontinence is evaluated among specialists in Spain.
Parés
David
D
Unidad de Cirugía Colorrectal, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España. Dpares@imas.imim.es
Pera
Miguel
M
Cartanyà
Anna
A
Delgado-Aros
Silvia
S
De Miguel
Mario
M
Ortiz
Hector
H
Grande
Luis
L
D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005762:Gastroenterology; D013502:General Surgery; D006801:Humans; D013030:Spain; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires