Improved diagnosis of faecal incontinence in the gastroenterology domain: The time to act has come

Abstract

Improved diagnosis of faecal incontinence in the gastroenterology domain: The time to act has comeFaecal incontinence (FI) refers to recurring, uncontrolled leaking of solid or liquid stool for a period of at least 3 months in an individual with a developmental age of at least 4 years, according to the Rome Foundation for disorders of gut-brain interaction (DGBI). 1 The definition has been rehearsed by the recently conveyed United European Gastroenterology Committee aiming to address all issues involved in FI management from diagnosis to treatment of difficult cases by means of an inclusive, multispecialty approach. 2 Of note, this cooperative project was promoted by both health care providers and patient's organisation sensitive to FI. 2 FI is a prevalent symptom ranging from 7% to 15% in community-dwelling individuals with a devastating impact on quality of life (QOL). [3][4][5] Moreover, FI may affect up to 50% of institutionalised patients. 4 Unexpectedly, FI goes often unrecognised because up to 70% of patients are either embarrassed to report it or poorly questioned by physicians for the challenges it poses. 1-4 Indeed, 'faecal incontinence' is a term used among physicians and researchers to improve communication. 4 However, it is poorly understood by some patients and is avoided by others for the stigma perception. 4,6 Many patients prefer the term 'accidental bowel leakage' to describe FI. 6 To this regard, the Guidelines on FI states: 'Health care professionals should enquire about patient's symptoms in a sensitive manner and determine whether the patient suffers from FI'. 2 More-This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.