QUALITY of LIFE of PATIENTS with Fecal INCONTINENCE

QUALITY OF LIFE OF PATIENTS WITH ANAL INCONTINENCE

The Anal incontinence (AI) is a common problem (1), though little discussed among patients and physicians.  The AI is a silent epidemic among outpatients and only one third of affected people talk about it with their caregivers (2). AI affects up to 20% of adults and over 50% of residents in nursing homes, constituting a major risk factor for institutionalized elderly people due to immobility and physical restraint, one of the most common reasons for hospitalization the elderly in nursing homes with a prevalence of approximately 50% (3-4). Despite not cause health risk, several studies discourse about the negative impact on quality of life, causing social isolation, concerns and lower self-esteem. The aim of this studyOuvirLer foneticamente was to identify the quality of life of patients with IA before and after being submitted to the Program of Biofeedback. This descriptive study was conducted in the city of Rio de Janeiro, after approval by the Ethics in Research of the University Hospital Clementino Fraga Filho (HUCFF-UFRJ). Patients underwent an interview study of demographic and quality of life through the use of specific Fecal Incontinence Quality of Life. The average age of patients was 59.9. As for the quality of life in the areas of depression, embarrassment, lifestyle and behavior, they showed important changes which allowed us to conclude that biofeedback is an effective therapeutic option for treatment of IA.