(Gastrointestinal System)
The gastrointestinal function portrayed by this statement is related to constipation. Some patients, when in the hospital, are worried about reaching the toilet. The mobility of a patient and distance between the bed and toiled also plays a role in this. The patient should be asked how often they pass stool. Depending on the information they give, the nurse will know if there are issues thereafter intervene. The longer remains in the bowel, most of the water is reabsorbed into the body, and the mass left cannot be easily passed. Movement or motility within the G.I. tract propels digestive and food materials forward (Bautista & Grossman, 2014). The stool is 25% waste, and 75% water-propelled normally in the intestinal tract through contraction of muscles. Peristaltic movements within the intestinal tract push food in the system.
This is motility, and mass movements take 30 seconds, then followed by 2-3 relaxation minutes. It takes around ten minutes or more in a day. When this does not occur, constipation arises where what is passed is incomplete, or the degree of infrequency is wanting. Here the stool is difficult to pass due to hard masses. The causes of constipation include inadequate fluid intake, bed rest, a diet with no fiber. The rectum and colon may be dilated in older people, and vast amounts of feces are accumulated in the rectum. Fecal impaction will occur if not treated, and this is a severe complication. Opioids cause constipation in the elderly. The patients with severe conditions have low dignity as they cannot manage personal problems like bowel care (Bautista & Grossman, 2014). In palliative care, the patient’s constipation is a common issue. By asking patients about their bowel movements, it means the care providers are willing to manage them—advice to take more water and take food high in fiber.
References
Bautista, C., & Grossman, S. (2014). Somatosensory function, pain, and headache. Grossman SC, Porth CM. Porth’s Pathophysiology: Concepts of Altered Health States. 9th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer, 422-451.