Impactación fecal en la población anciana españolaprevalencia y factores asociados

Abstract

Faecal impaction (FI) is defined as the inability to pass large and hardened stools through the rectum spontaneously. It is a common problem in the elderly nursing home population, but its prevalence in the general population remains unknown. It has been considered the main complication of uncontrolled constipation; however FI risk factors have not been investigated. Furthermore, faecal incontinence is thought to be secondary to FI, but the physiopathology of this phenomenon has been scarcely studied. The sequence constipation- faecal impaction- faecal incontinence has been established despite of the absence of published data to support it in the general population. The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of FI in the non-institutionalized population over 65 years old, as well as its associated factors. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the prevalence of constipation and faecal incontinence in this population, to study their associated risk factors, especially comorbidity and drugs, and to find out the relationship between constipation, FI and faecal incontinence in terms of prevalence and associated factors...