This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Examination

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

General examination (as indicated)

Inspection (ask the patient to strain as if for stool), where the examiner is looking for:

  • inflammation
  • deformity
  • haemorrhoids
  • prolapse

Rectal examination:

  • anal tone, asking the patient to 'tighten up'
  • feel for faeces or tumour
  • examine for haemorrhoids which can be missed without proctoscopy

Abdominal examination:

  • feeling for colonic faecal loading

Neurological examination:

  • to assess for peripheral neuropathy
  • to assess mental state

NICE also suggest that an assessment of the patient's ability to use the toilet should be undertaken (1):

  • mobility
  • ability to adjust clothing
  • ability to wash after using toilet

Reference:

  1. NICE (2007).Faecal incontinence: the management of faecal incontinence in adults.

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation, such as a web address or phone number. This information will always be displayed when you visit this page

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.