Megumi Ozeki, MD, DMSc, Hitoshi Kagaya, MD, DMSc, Seiko Shibata, MD, DMSc, Keiko Onogi, MD, DMSc, Tomohisa Sugiyama, OTR, MAS, Eiichi Saitoh, MD, DMSc
Jpn J Compr Rehabil Sci 10: 9-13, 2019
Objective: To investigate the efficacy of transanal
irrigation (TAI) for patients with spinal cord injury
who experience subjective symptoms, such as
abdominal distension, due to constipation that has not
been well managed.
Methods: An irrigation kit was used to perform TAI
on 8 patients with spinal cord injury (mean age, 44
years). The patients had the following injury sites:
cervical spinal cord (2 patients), thoracic spinal cord
(4 patients), lumbar spinal cord (1 patient), and sacral
spinal cord (1 patient). Before and after the irrigation
procedure, we assessed the time spent on defecation,
time interval between defecations, constipation,
diarrhea, fecal incontinence, defecation management
methods, and defecation status using a visual analogue
scale (VAS). At the last follow-up, we examined the
usage of irrigation, constipation, diarrhea, fecal
incontinence, and defecation management methods.
Results: Irrigation was possible for all patients
included in this study. No changes were observed in
the time spent on defecation or the interval between
defecations. However, we did observe a significant
decrease in constipation and a significant improvement
in VAS after the irrigation procedure. Four patients
were continuing the use of irrigation at the last followup.
Including the 2 patients who discontinued irrigation
because their defecation management improved,
satisfactory results were observed in 6 patients.
Conclusion: Irrigation using an irrigation kit was
effective for bowel dysfunction in patients with spinal
cord injury.
Key words: spinal cord injury, bowel dysfunction, irrigation, constipation, fecal incontinence