health care Health care, or healthcare, is the improvement or maintenance of health via the preventive healthcare, prevention, diagnosis, therapy, treatment, wikt:amelioration, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other disability, physic ...

, toileting is the act of assisting a dependent

patient A patient is any recipient of health care services that are performed by Health professional, healthcare professionals. The patient is most often Disease, ill or Major trauma, injured and in need of therapy, treatment by a physician, nurse, op ...

with their elimination needs.

Methods of toileting

Depending on a patient's condition, their toileting needs may need to be met differently. This could be by assisting the patient to walk to a

toilet A toilet is a piece of sanitary hardware that collects human waste (urine and feces) and sometimes toilet paper, usually for disposal. Flush toilets use water, while dry or non-flush toilets do not. They can be designed for a sitting p ...

, to a bedside

commode chair A commode chair, known in British English simply as a commode, is a type of chair used by someone who needs help going to the toilet due to illness, injury or disability. A commode chair sometimes has wheels to allow easy transport to the bathroo ...

, onto a

bedpan A bedpan or bed pan is a device used as a receptacle for the urine and/or Human feces, feces of a person who is confined to a bed and therefore not able to use a toilet or chamber pot. Bedpans can be either reusable or disposable, and include s ...

, or to provide a male patient with a

urinal A urinal (, ) is a sanitary plumbing fixture similar to a toilet, but for urination only. Urinals are often provided in men's public restrooms in Western countries (less so in Muslim countries). They are usually used in a standing position. ...

. A more dependent or incontinent patient may have their toileting needs met solely through the use of

adult diaper An adult diaper (or adult nappy in Australian English, British English, and Hiberno-English) is a diaper made to be worn by a person with a body larger than that of an infant or toddler. Diapers can be necessary for adults with various conditions, ...

s. Other options are

incontinence pad An incontinence pad is a small, impermeable multi-layered sheet with high absorbency that is used in the incontinence and health-care industries as a precaution against fecal or urinary incontinence. It is generally made of cotton if washable, or ...

s and

urinary catheter The human urinary system, also known as the urinary tract or renal system, consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and the urethra. The purpose of the urinary system is to eliminate waste from the body, regulate blood volume and blood pr ...

Ambulatory assistance

Some patients can walk with assistance from another person, usually a health care worker. Aside from the need for this help, they are capable of meeting their own elimination needs.

Bedpan

Patients who cannot get out of bed easily but who can control their bladder and bowels are able to request a

. The bedpan is placed underneath the patient, who can

urinate Urination is the release of urine from the bladder through the urethra in placental mammals, or through the cloaca in other vertebrates. It is the urinary system's form of excretion. It is also known medically as micturition, voiding, ure ...

or defecate as needed. Some patients are able to place their own bedpans under themselves, and assistance is required only to empty them after the fact.

Urinal

A urinal is much like a bedpan but only for a male, the urinal is shaped in a way that the male may use it while still in bed and remain comfortable. The urinal is also often used when input and output (I & O) must be recorded.

Briefs

Incontinent patients often wear

briefs Briefs (or a brief) are a type of short, form-fitting Undergarment, underwear and swimsuit, swimwear, as opposed to styles where material extends down the thighs. Briefs have various different styles, usually with a waistband attached to fabric ...

to prevent their trousers from being stained by their elimination. Briefs must be checked and changed frequently.

Catheter

Catheters, in this sense, are tubes that drain urine from the body. A

Foley catheter In urology, a Foley catheter is one of many types of urinary catheters (UC). The Foley UC was named after Frederic Foley, who produced the original design in 1929. Foleys are indwelling UC, often referred to as an IDCs (sometimes IDUCs). This dif ...

, used with men and women, is inserted into the

bladder The bladder () is a hollow organ in humans and other vertebrates that stores urine from the kidneys. In placental mammals, urine enters the bladder via the ureters and exits via the urethra during urination. In humans, the bladder is a distens ...

. An external catheter is attached to the

penis A penis (; : penises or penes) is a sex organ through which male and hermaphrodite animals expel semen during copulation (zoology), copulation, and through which male placental mammals and marsupials also Urination, urinate. The term ''pen ...

of a male patient. In the US, while Foley catheters can only be applied by a nurse or physician, external catheters can be attached by a certified nurse assistant.

Collection, measurement, and analysis

Input and output

Input and output (I & O) is the measure of food and fluids that enter and exit the body. Certain patients with the need are placed on I & O, and if so, their urinary output is measured. With self-toileting patients on I & O, or those who are assisted to a regular toilet or portable commode, a receptacle is placed in the toilet bowl that catches all urine that is put out by the patient. This, in turn, is measured by the nursing staff and recorded prior to its disposal. If the patient is using a bedpan, the nursing staff member who empties the bedpan measures the urine prior to its disposal. Urinals usually contain measuring lines providing easy measurement. Urinals are also useful for measuring urine from other sources. Catheters, which are frequently used when it is necessary to measure a patient's output, often have measuring lines on their bags, but these are not considered to be accurate because the bag is floppy. Urine that is emptied from a catheter must be placed in a level container (such as a urinal) in order to be measured.

Bowel movement

In many patients,

bowel movement Defecation (or defaecation) follows digestion and is the necessary biological process by which organisms eliminate a solid, semisolid, or liquid waste material known as feces (or faeces) from the digestive tract via the anus or cloaca. The act ...

is also measured. In some facilities, it is the standard procedure to record bowel movement of all patients. Bowel movement is generally measured by its size (small, medium, or large), given the amount. Additionally, if a patient has

diarrhea Diarrhea (American English), also spelled diarrhoea or diarrhœa (British English), is the condition of having at least three loose, liquid, or watery bowel movements in a day. It often lasts for a few days and can result in dehydration d ...

, this is recorded. A patient who has not had a bowel movement in several days is often given

laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...

s. Patients who independently toilet themselves often do not report bowel movements, thereby leading them to get laxatives when they do not need them.

Sources

*Foundations of Caregiving, published by the

American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...

{{Toilets , state=expanded Excretion Incontinence