Causes of and factors that exacerbate faecal incontinence in older people

摘要

Faecal incontinence (FI) can be defined as a decline in bowel function that results in the involuntary loss of solid or liquid faeces (Menees et al, 2018). It is a common and distressing symptom that occurs at any age. There are numerous reasons why a person might lose control of their bowel function; the cause;; are multifactorial and often complex. It is important to recognise that while many of the causes of incontinence are not within the scope of the community nurse to change, many of the exacerbating factors are modifiable. This article highlights the importance of identifying FI and describes some of the structural and functional causes of this condition. Specific management will not be covered in this article as this was covered in an earlier issue in the series (Kelly, 2019).