During assessment, the home health nurse learns that the client has a fecal impaction. Before proceeding to manually remove the stool, what is the nurse’s PRIORITY?
A. Give an analgesic or sedative to make the client comfortable.
B. Advise the family to increase the client’s fluid and fiber intake.
C. Teach family members to perform the disimpaction process.
D. Recall that cardiac dysrhythmias are a possibility
A fecal impaction is a large lump of dry, hard stool that stays stuck in the rectum. It is most often seen in people who are constipated for a long time.
Treatment of a fecal impaction includes administrating an enema to soften the stool to produce a bowel movement, or
manually
removing the impaction.
With a lubricated glove, insert the index finger into the rectum to break up the hardened stool with a circular motion. Cardiac dysrhythmias and reflex bradycardia can occur from vagal nerve stimulation.
