[Continuous fecal drainage systems in intensive care medicine]

The relevance of nursing interventions for patients with fecal incontinence/defecation problems in intensive care medicine is very often underestimated. Fecal incontinence can either be a symptom of a disease, an epiphenomenon or a primary disease. Fecal incontinence negatively influences the ability of affected intensive patients to care for themselves. Fecal incontinence and diarrhea often occur together, which in return restricts the patient's mobility. Improperly treated fecal incontinence can result in infections (e.g., skin disorders, existing catheter sores), secondary healing can be delayed (e.g., bedsores, sores on the back or groin/genital area) and can also result in contamination of other areas (e.g., intestinal infection). In the past, many improvised techniques and materials have been used to drain feces for patients who are either immobile or critically ill with temporary or persistent fecal incontinence. Continuous and safe fecal drainage is often a problem. There is no basic standard nursing concept that can be recommended or verified. At present there are a number of continuous fecal drainage systems that have been launched on the market. Different indications and fields of application have been recommended when dealing with continuous fecal drainage. This article shows weaknesses and strengths of continuous fecal drainage, explains how each functions, and illustrates possible indications and contra-indications with each of these. Deployment options and limits are presented and summarized in an algorithm as a practical help for decision-making.