Effective bowel management in spinal cord injury during inpatient rehabilitation: data from the Dutch spinal cord injury database

Retrospective Observational Study.

To describe bowel management in individuals with a recently acquired spinal cord injury (SCI) both at admittance and discharge from first inpatient rehabilitation, and to determine factors that contribute to effective bowel management (EBM) at discharge.

Specialized rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands.

Data from the Dutch Spinal Cord Injury Database (DSCID) collected between 2015 and 2019 was used. EBM was defined by the variables of stool frequency and fecal incontinence. After univariate analysis, a multivariate regression analysis was conducted.

Of 1,210 participants, 818 (68%) did not have EBM at admittance. At discharge, 308 (38%) did still not have EBM (in total 33% of all participants). The odds of having EBM at discharge was 2.82 times higher for participants with ASIA Impairment Scale (AIS) D compared to those with AIS-A (95% CI: 1.38-5.78). Participants with non-traumatic SCI had higher odds of having EBM than those with traumatic SCI (OR: 0.59, 95% CI 0.38-0.91). Use of suppositories, small enema, medication influencing bowel function, and oral laxatives at admittance did not influence EBM significantly at discharge.

Bowel management improves during first inpatient rehabilitation. However, realizing EBM after a recently acquired SCI is a challenge. This endorses the importance of bowel management during inpatient rehabilitation, especially for people with AIS-A and non-traumatic etiology.