A patient is complaining to the nurse that he feels the need to have a bowel movement but has not been able to defecate.He has had cramping and even a small amount of brown watery stool.What should the nurse recognize these symptoms as?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The patient's symptoms suggest fecal impaction, which occurs when stool becomes hardened and stuck in the rectum, making it difficult or impossible to pass a normal bowel movement. The cramping and small amount of watery stool indicate that liquid stool is leaking around the impacted mass.

A Patient Is Complaining to the Nurse That He Feels