bowel elimination

bowel elimination,

a nursing outcome from the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC) defined as the formation and evacuation of stool. See also Nursing Outcomes Classification.

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elimination [e-lim″ĭ-na´shun]

discharge from the body of indigestible materials and of waste products of body metabolism; see defecation, urination, and clearance.

altered bowel elimination a former nursing diagnosis referring to change in normal defecation patterns. See constipation, diarrhea, and bowel incontinence.

bowel elimination defecation.

impaired urinary elimination a nursing diagnosis accepted by the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association, defined as a disturbance in an individual's pattern of urine elimination (see urination). These changes are not to be confused with symptoms of pathologic conditions related to renal formation of urine, such as suppression, anuria, and polyuria. Examples of changes that might be amenable to nursing interventions include those associated with dysuria, frequency, nocturia, and urinary incontinence.

Environmental causative and contributing factors of which the nurse should be aware include unavailability of a urinal or bedpan or inability to go to the bathroom without help, an inadequate supply of fresh water at the bedside, and lack of privacy. These factors are especially relevant to elderly and extremely weak or easily fatigued patients. Elderly persons may experience urgency because of diminished bladder capacity, loss of tone in the perineal muscles, and decreased ability to control bladder contractions.

In some cases alteration in patterns of urination may be related to decreased attention to bladder cues because of the effects of certain drugs, such as tranquilizers and sedatives, or to psychologic factors, such as depression, anxiety, and confusion. See also bladder training.

urinary elimination urination.