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. 2011 Jun;35(3):337-43.
doi: 10.5535/arm.2011.35.3.337. Epub 2011 Jun 30.

Bowel function in acute stroke patients

Jin Hwa Yi  1 , Min Ho Chun, Bo Ryun Kim, Eun Young Han, Ji Young Park
Affiliations

Bowel function in acute stroke patients

Jin Hwa Yi et al. Ann Rehabil Med. 2011 Jun.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate factors related to bowel function and colon motility in acute stroke patients.

Method: Fifty-one stroke patients (29 males, mean age 63.4±13.6 years, onset 13.4±4.8 days) were recruited and divided into two groups: constipation (n=25) and non-constipation (n=26) groups. We evaluated the amount of intake, voiding function, concomitant swallowing problem and colon transit time (CTT) using radio-opaque markers for ascending, descending and rectosigmoid colons. The Adapted Patient Evaluation Conference System (APEC), Korean version of Modified Bathel Index (K-MBI) and Motricity Index (MI) were evaluated.

Results: The constipation group showed significantly prolonged CTT of ascending, descending and entire colon (p<0.05) and more severe swallowing problems (p=0.048). The APEC scale (2.65±1.44 vs 1.52±0.92, p=0.001), K-MBI scores (59.4±14.4 vs 28.0±24.3, p<0.001) and MI scores (69.1±22.3 vs 46.8±25.9, p=0.001) of the constipation group were significantly lower compared to the non-constipation group.

Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that bowel function in acute stroke patients was associated with functional status and swallowing function, indicating the need for intensive functional training in post-stroke constipation patients.

Keywords: Bowel function; Constipation; Stroke.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The colon transit time (CTT) of the twenty six patients was measured using radio-opaque markers for the ascending (aCTT), descending (dCTT), rectosigmoid (rsCTT) colons as well as for the entire colon (tCTT). After 4 days, the spinal processes and imaginary lines from the 5th lumbar vertebra to the left iliac crest and pelvic outlet served as landmarks.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Comparison of colon transit time (CTT) between non-constipation and constipation patients. Values are ex pressed as means±standard deviation. (A) Ascending CTT. (B) Descending CTT. (C) Rectosigmoid CTT. (D) Total CTT. CTTs of ascending, descending and total colon in the constipation patients were significantly prolonged. There was no significant difference in CTT in rectosigmoid colon. *p<0.05 by Mann-Whitney U test.
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