Surgery | Common Surgical Conditions | General Surgery: Change in Bowel Habit

General Surgery Change in Bowel Habit
Session Overview
Description
This session will cover the surgical principles associated with a change in bowel habit including definitions, aetiology, assessment and investigation.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Explain what is meant by ‘change in bowel habit’ and be aware of the relevant terminology
• List the causes of a change in bowel habit
• Take a focussed history and appropriately examine a patient presenting with a change in bowel habit (diarrhoea/constipation)
• Describe how to investigate change in bowel habit

Prerequisites
Before commencing this session you should have:

• Basic knowledge of the main bowel pathologies
• Advanced knowledge of a bowel anatomy and physiology

Change in bowel habit is a symptom presenting frequently in primary care and a common reason for referral to secondary care.

Although the cause is often innocuous, it is also associated with some significant and treatable diagnoses and therefore appropriate assessment and investigation is paramount.