Building the evidence base--the Zassi Bowel Management System

Uncontrolled faecal incontinence (FI) secondary to diarrhoea represents a major risk to perianal skin integrity and the healing of perineal wounds or burns. In an era of heightened awareness of the morbidity and the costs associated with hospital-acquired infection, there are obvious concerns about the risks of cross-infection associated with diarrhoea or FI. This article evaluates the Zassi Bowel Management System (ZBMS, Hollister), a product that has been designed to manage diarrhoea, faecal incontinence and defaecation in situations where a patient is either completely dependent, has overwhelming uncontrolled diarrhoea that poses a threat to skin integrity and is a cross-infection risk, or where normal defaecation poses a risk to wound integrity and sterility.