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Self-report of incontinence in acute care
Introduction:
Acute care nurses are in good position to identify patients with bladder and rectal control problems, inform physicians, provide initial interventions, and make appropriate referrals. Do nurses assess and document these problems?
Methods:
Two hundred forty-seven patients (123 men; 124 women) aged 22 to 92 years were interviewed before admission. Charts were reviewed for documentation.
Results:
One hundred three patients (32 men; 71 women) reported urinary incontinence. Only 10 patients had urinary incontinence documented on admission. Of 53 individuals who reported fecal incontinence, only nine had the symptoms documented.
Discussions:
The incontinence rate was 42% in this acute care population, significantly higher than the incidence reported in studies of community dwellers and lower than the incidence reported in studies of nursing homes. However, ages, definitions of incontinence, and methods of data collection varied among the studies. Documentation of incontinence was reported as low in all of the studies. Based on findings, nurses are advised to assess and document incontinence on men and women of all ages (not just older adults) and to ask direct questions to get information. Strategies for increased awareness of urinary and fecal incontinence issues at the authors' institution after this study's results are included.