Rectal irrigation in the management of functional bowel disorders: a review.

Angela Mary Tod, Elaine Stringer, Carol Levery, Jill Dean, Jayne Brown

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    Abstract

    Faecal incontinence and constipation are examples of functional bowel disorders that can lead to distressing psychological and physical symptoms which seriously impact upon quality of life. Rectal irrigation has been introduced as a treatment option for such patients. This article critically reviews and evaluates the current evidence on the effectiveness of rectal irrigation as a management option for functional bowel disorders. The review was conducted using BIOSIS, AHMED, CINAHL, MEDLINE, and Web of Knowledge. From 1051 articles identified through the literacy search, only nine were specifically concerned with the evaluation of rectal irrigation as a treatment option for functional bowel disorders. The results of the literature review do indicate that rectal irrigation could be a successful treatment option for some people, however, variations between studies and methodological limitations mean evidence of the effectiveness of rectal irrigation is lacking.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)858-864
    Number of pages6
    JournalBritish journal of nursing (Mark Allen Publishing)
    Volume16
    Issue number14
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 26 Jul 2007

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