Identifying a New Area of Damages: Assessing Time Loss Associated With Bowel Management

Individuals who sustain a spinal cord injury (SCI) are often faced with numerous challenges with physical functioning. These challenges or limitations often inhibit individuals with an SCI from completing everyday tasks such as activities of daily living (ADL). One ADL in particular that poses a significant challenge for many individuals with SCI is bowel management. Although many individuals with SCI are able to manage their bowel programs independently, the time associated with bowel management can often be more extensive than for an individual without a SCI. Several research studies have explored techniques, frequency and duration of bowel management programs; however, a limited amount of literature was found that addresses the actual time associated with completing an entire bowel program for an individual with SCI. The purpose of this exploratory study was to identify key variables for consideration when trying to predict the amount of time required for individuals with SCI to complete a bowel program. Data on 41 people with SCI were collected and analyzed from an experienced life care planner’s database. Of the 41 individuals with SCI, 78% were male and the age range was 8-75 years with a mean of 38 and standard deviation of 18.08.