"District Skin Care Team Reduces Fecal Incontinence Complications of the skin"

Topic:

Fecal incontinence presents a major challenge in the comprehensive nursing care of acutely and critically ill adult patients.

Purpose: 

 In a large hospital district, fecal incontinence was a daunting task that altered skin integrity and consumed substantial nursing time in critically ill patients.

Objectives:

Attendee will be able to identify methods used to prevent skin complications and reduce incontinence cleanup time for nurses taking care of patients with fecal incontinence.

Outcomes:

Fecal incontinence was managed by the following after etiology was determined in the critically ill patient: 

Containment devices (used for patients with 2 or less fecal incontinent episodes daily)

• Absorbent products (briefs, polymer pads)
• Protective barriers to skin

Fecal collectors (used for patients with diarrhea lasting less than 5 days)

• External fecal collectors with self adhering skin barrier and attached pouch that was connected to bedside drainage collector
• Fecal collectors were left in place for 3 - 5 days 

Bowel Management systems (used for patients with fecal incontinence greater than 5 days)

• Patient with C-Difficile
• Patient with stage III or IV pressure ulcer to the sacral area

Overall, containing feces using one of the above mentioned methods proved to be time saving and reduced the risk of harm to the skin of the critically ill patient.