Improving the Assessment and Management of Constipation in Elderly Inpatients: A Quality Improvement Project in a Geriatric Ward
Benyam G Yirdaw, Humna Anis Shaikh, Victor Adekiya · 2026
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Description
Constipation is common and harmful in frail older patients, yet wards treat it without a set routine. Benyam Yirdaw, Humna Anis Shaikh, and Victor Adekiya ran a project on the frailty ward at Fairfield General Hospital from March to August 2026. An audit of notes found wide gaps: belly exams were recorded in only a third of cases, and reviews of drugs that slow the bowel in about a quarter. Correct first-line laxatives appeared in under half.
The team responded with short teaching sessions on national guidance, drop-in help, and a simple six-point checklist. When they checked fifteen notes again, belly exams had risen to 86 percent, drug reviews to 80 percent, and correct first-line laxatives to 80 percent. The authors conclude that brief teaching plus an easy checklist can bring new junior doctors up to national standards, and they credit the checklist's design for much of the gain.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Benyam G Yirdaw, Humna Anis Shaikh, Victor Adekiya |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 31 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |