Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

Fecal Impaction

In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Free Books & Documents
Book

Fecal Impaction

Aniruddh Setya et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

Fecal impaction occurs because of hardened fecal matter retained in the large bowel which cannot be evacuated by regular peristaltic activity. If this is not recognized and treated early, it can give rise to the formation of fecoliths, or stone-like feces. Fecal impaction is a cause for increased morbidity and a significant cause of a decrease in quality of life among the elderly.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Aniruddh Setya declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: George Mathew declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Burt Cagir declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. García Cabrera AM, Jiménez Rodríguez RM, Reyes Díaz ML, Vázquez Monchul JM, Ramos Fernández M, Díaz Pavón JM, Palacios González C, Padillo Ruiz FJ, de la Portilla de Juan F. Fecal incontinence in older patients. A narrative review. Cir Esp (Engl Ed) 2018 Mar;96(3):131-137. - PubMed
    1. Poitras R, Warren D, Oyogoa S. Opioid drugs and stercoral perforation of the colon: Case report and review of literature. Int J Surg Case Rep. 2018;42:94-97. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Osterman MT, Foley C, Matthias I. Clozapine-induced acute gastrointestinal necrosis: a case report. J Med Case Rep. 2017 Sep 23;11(1):270. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wickham RJ. Managing Constipation in Adults With Cancer. J Adv Pract Oncol. 2017 Mar;8(2):149-161. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Serrano Falcón B, Álvarez Sánchez Á, Diaz-Rubio M, Rey E. Prevalence and factors associated with faecal impaction in the Spanish old population. Age Ageing. 2017 Jan 12;46(1):119-124. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources