Assessment and Care of a Pediatric Client with Constipation
Hinds Community College, Nursing Allied Health Center
Assessment and Care of a Pediatric Client with Constipation
Constipation is a subject that many people might feel uncomfortable speaking about, but this abnormality could have undesirable side effects. Brunner and Suddarth defines constipation as, “an abnormal infrequency or irregularity of defecation, abnormal hardening of stools that make their passage difficult and sometimes painful, a decrease in stool volume, or retention of stool in the rectum for a prolonged period often with a sense of incomplete evacuation after defecation” (Smeltzer, Bare, Hinkle, & Cheever, 2010, 1068). Parents do not usually consider the importance of monitoring the bowel habits of their children unless the child in very young and still in diapers. Because of the complications and discomfort associated with constipation, it is important as the nurse to not only educate the parents on the signs and symptoms of constipation, but also to attempt to involve the child in managing or reversing the constipation.
Globally zero point three to twenty-eight percent of children are documented as having constipation (Rogers, 2012, p. 47). Due to instances of encopresis a child’s condition is often made worse than when constipation presents in adults. It is common to have hard, painful-to-pass stool with constipation, and with this pain comes a noticed correlation between bowel movements and pain in the mind of a child (Rogers, 2012, p. 46). Early detection and proper diagnosis by a health care professional is the key in reversing the acute constipation prior to the development of chronic constipation (Rogers, 2012, p. 47).
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...assment or fear. Management of constipation is also crucial in preventing chronic constipation. Parents should be well informed of the importance of follow-up importance. Early reversal of constipation is the best and most desirable way to avoid the disorder of chronic constipation. Open communication between parent and child is the best initial defense.
References
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Smeltzer, S. C., Bare, B. G., Hinkle, J. L., & Cheever, K. H. (2010). Brunner & Suddarth's Textbook of Medical-Surgical Nursing (12th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Each person with the disease must adjust in their own way, but they must adjust. Even though there is no cure at this time, research is ongoing and promises to improve the health and quality of life for those with Crohn’s disease.
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Pediatric patients, usually teenagers can be emotionally changing, between school, sports, and not to mention isolation from peers due to not understanding the disease process itself. An article published on January 2015, in the JPGN magazine, discusses four pediatric boys with moderate symptoms undergone FMT via a nasogastric tube. Prior to FMT, each boy was given rifaximin daily for 3 days and 17 g of Miralax in 8oz of water 3 times a day for 2 days prior to FMT. Evaluations on all four patients were done at 2, 6, and 12 weeks after FMT. None of the four patients showed any significant improvement with FMT nor changes in stool value (JPGN, 2015). This study didn’t have any more trials
A person who has IBS can lead a normal life. One would think that with continual diarrhea that a person with IBS would lose weight, be malnourished, or that they would develop more serious digestive problems. However, these are very rare. Only in a very small number of cases does IBS become so disabling that it can interfere with a person’s normal activities. But some people withdraw from activities because the diarrhea or constipation bothers them. In such cases, doctors may recommend mental health counseling.
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Historically, pediatric drugs have been used without the adequate research done for pediatric formulation and dosage information for children usage. There have been difficulties and lack of pediatric trials done on drugs and children received unapproved therapeutic uses based on adult formulation, which have caused harmful results in children. There is a profound need for pharmaceutical tests to be approved for safety and effective for use by children. Only few drugs have adequate labeling information and approved indication for dosage, frequency, and route of administration. However, over the recent years, implementation of pediatric regulations and legislations have been initiated and review committees have been established to renew this issue.
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The role of the nurse in the preoperative area is to determine the patient’s psychological status to help with the use of coping during the surgery process. Determine physiologic factors directly or indirectly related to the surgical procedure that may cause operative risk factors. Establish baseline data for comparison in the intraoperative and postoperative period. Participate in the identification and documentation of the surgical site and or side of body on which the procedure is to be performed. Identify prescription drugs, over the counter, and herbal supplements that are taken by the patient that may interact and affect the surgical outcome. Document the results of all preoperative laboratory and diagnostic tests in the patient’s record
I went to the operating room on March 23, 2016 for the Wilkes Community College Nursing Class of 2017 for observation. Another student and I were assigned to this unit from 7:30am-2:00pm. When we got their we changed into the operating room scrubs, placed a bonnet on our heads and placed booties over our shoes. I got to observe three different surgeries, two laparoscopic shoulder surgeries and one ankle surgery. While cleaning the surgical room for the next surgery, I got to communicate with the nurses and surgical team they explained the flow and equipment that was used in the operating room.
Although students were not allowed in the recovery unit, I was able to talk to one of the recovery nurses. I learned that a nurse’s duty of care includes monitoring the patient’s vital signs and level of consciousness, and maintaining airway patency. Assessing pain and the effectiveness of pain management is also necessary. Once patients are transferred to the surgical ward, the goal is to assist in the recovery process, as well as providing referral details and education on care required when the patient returns home (Hamlin, 2010).
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