Radiotherapy
EBRT refers to the delivery of tightly targeted radiation beams from outside the body. A course of EBRT involves several daily treatments (fractions) over a...
Urinary Tract Infection
Urinary Tract Infections [UTI] are caused by micro-organisms or germs, usually bacteria. The different types of UTI can include: Infection of the urethra...
Psychological impact of incontinence
If a person is not able to manage their continence well then they often experience feelings similar to those of grief and loss 5 stages of grief and loss a...
Mental Health and Incontinence
Mental health can increase of the risk of incontinence for the following reasons: Mental illness may interfere with the person’s ability to get t...
Falls and incontinence
Falls are a major health issue in the community with around 30% of adults over 65 experiencing at least one fall per year. This is set to increase as Austral...
Ageing effects on bowel incontience
In older patients, incontinence is usually caused by a combination of factors, including age-related changes to the urinary tract. Older individuals are mo...
Tips for living with incontinence
Women should sit on the toilet rather than hover as it will enable them to empty their bladders properly Sit comfortably with knees just above hip level, w...
Bowel incontinence Information
Bowel (fecal) incontinence is a term used to describe leakage from the bowel due to poor bowel control (Continence Foundation of Australia (CFA, 2019). Inc...
Types and risk factors for bowel incontinence
Urge incontinence: When an individual has a sudden urge to have a bowel movement.. A person will often have to rush to the bathroom in order to make it on...
Causes of bowel incontinence
Medications Medications such as opioids can impact the peristaltic (movement) activity of the food through the gastrointestinal tract. Poor movement can ca...
Assessment of bowel incontinence
Stool testing Stool testing can identify blood and/or bacteria that may be contributing to incontinence Digital rectal exam. A small procedure wh...
Bowel incontinence treatment and management
There are various treatment and/or management options for individuals who experience bowel incontinence. The most effective way will vary from person to pers...
Posture to support bowel movement
The way we position ourselves for a bowel movement can have a large impact on how difficult or easy a bowel motion is. A list of tips on good posture to supp...
Treatment for constipation
Aim for 6-8 glasses of water per day Ensure a balanced diet with soluble and insoluble fibre Taking your time to go to the toilet and/or create a routi...
Treatment for diarrhoea
If you have ongoing diarrhea you need to seek medical advice. Diarrhea can lead to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances. Malabsorption can cause di...
Bowel cancer
Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is carcinoma anywhere along the large intestine. Bowel cancer is a malignant growth (uncontrolled growth...
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a disorder of the bowel and its ability to function. Unlike IBD it does not alter the structure of components within the bo...
Crohn's Disease
Crohn's disease is chronic inflammation of the digestive tract. It can affect any portion of the digestive tract but is most commonly seen in the small and l...
Ulcerative colitis
What is Ulcerative colitis? Ulcerative colitis is the inflammation of the mucosa layer of the large intestine. Inflammation is most often seen in the rec...
Irritable bowel disease
Irritable bowel disease (IBD) is a term used to describe a range of conditions and disorders that cause chronic inflammation of the digestive tract.&nbs...
Stoma
A stoma is an opening on the outside of the abdomen that can be connected to your digestive or urinary system. This allows for either stool or urine to be el...
Diverticulitis
Diverticulosis occurs when small pockets or pouches (diverticula) that have formed within the muscle wall of the large intestine or colon. Diverticulitis is...
Incontinence and toilet training
For children with special needs, there’s often a reason behind why they are not-yet toilet-trained. For children with Cerebral palsy, the issue may be p...
How much does a childs bladder hold?
How Much Does a child’s bladder hold? The below formula is used to estimate how much a child's bladder will hold Age of the child x 30 ml plus...
Continence care for transgender community
Specific needs for managing continence in the transgender community Nurses working with transgender men who have transitioned to female need to be...
Post catheter removal issues
A Urinary catheter is inserted for a variety of reasons It depends on the reason as to how removal may affect what issues may arise. There is t...
Bladder Scanner
A bladder scanner is a portable, hand-held ultrasound device, which can perform a quick, easy and non-invasive scan of the bladder. How does it work? T...
What is a residual volume?
Residual volume is a term used when the bladder cannot be completely emptied. Since the rinsing of the bladder is impaired, germs can easily settle on the...
What is a bladder diary?
A bladder diary is a way of tracking the amount of intake (of fluids)and output(of urine), the times of voiding and frequency. This helps to enable an asse...