[Constipation opposes well-being]

Constipation has an effect in traumatology and orthopedic surgery as a real and potential problem capable of increasing disease-caused mortality related to the slowness of feces in the intestinal tract; furthermore, constipation contributes manifestly to an alteration in a patient's well-being. In spite of this, there are very few studies in this area of knowledge in nursing and the majority of cases, constipation is considered to be a secondary problem among general treatment plans for trauma patients' linked to a syndrome of disuse due to being bedridden. In this study, the authors have tried to point out the magnitude and the clinical importance constipation has in trauma ward patients as well as create a treatment protocol which has some specific treatments which permit a standardization of nursing care provided to at risk patients. To develop this, the authors have carried out a comparative study following the directions established by the Process of Nursing Treatment as the paradigm for the application of the scientific method in professional practice. The evaluation of the results obtained in this study let the authors conclude that the adoption of this standardized protocol which we present for treatment of constipation suffered by trauma ward patients improves the pattern of bowel movements by patients hospitalized with fractures in their inferior extremities without having backbone complications.