URINARY AND BOWEL LATEST 2026 COMPREHENSIVE
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Bulk forming laxatives - ✔✔increases fluid, gaseous, or solid bulk in intestines
Ex: metamucil
✔✔emollient/stool softener - ✔✔softens and delays the drying of fecese; permits fat and
water to penetrate feces
ex: colace
✔✔stimulant/irritant laxative - ✔✔irritates intestinal mucosa or stimulates nerve endings
in wall of intestine, causing rapid propulsion of contents
ex: ex-lax
✔✔lubricant laxative - ✔✔lubricates feces in colon
ex: mineral oil
✔✔saline/osmotic laxatives - ✔✔draws water into intestine by osmosis, distends bowel,
and stimulates peristalsis
ex: epson salts
✔✔Fecal Impaction - ✔✔Mass or collection of hardened feces in folds of rectum
Passage of liquid fecal seepage and no normal stool
Causes usually:
-Poor defecation habits
-Constipation
✔✔Bowel Obstruction - ✔✔*mechanical blockage or paralytic ileus
*higher the obstruction the quicker the symptoms
*Vomiting - malodoruous with fecal smell, hypovolemia, electrolytes
*abdominal distention
*bowel sounds - increased to silent; high pitch at first then go silent
✔✔Diarrhea - ✔✔*Passage of liquid feces and increased frequency of defecation
*Spasmodic cramps, increased bowel sounds
Fatigue, weakness, malaise, emaciation
*Major causes:
-Stress, medications, allergies, intolerance of food or fluids, disease of colon, antibiotics,
iron
✔✔Guidelines for using antidiarrheal medications - ✔✔* if persists more than 3-4days
determine the underlying cause
* long term use of OTC = dependence
* can cause drowsiness and should not drive or operate machinery
* kaolin-pectin prep may absorb nutrients
, * bulk laxatives and other absorbents may be used to help bind toxins and absorb
excess bowel liquid
* bismuth preparation (pepto) often used to treat traveler's diarrhea may contain aspirin
and should not be given to children and teenagers with chickenpox, influenza, and other
viral infections
✔✔Bowel Incontinence - ✔✔Loss of voluntary ability to control fecal and gaseous
discharges
Generally associated with:
-Impaired functioning of anal sphincter or nerve supply
-Neuromuscular diseases
-Spinal trauma
-Tumor
✔✔Flatulence - ✔✔Excessive flatus in intestines
Leads to stretching and inflation of intestines
Can occur from variety of causes:
-Foods
-Abdominal surgery
-Narcotics
✔✔Bowel elimination - assess - ✔✔Size (amount)
Consistency
Occult bood
Odor
Peristalsis
✔✔Stoma Care for Clients with an Ostomy - ✔✔-Normal stoma should appear red and
may bleed slightly when touched
-Assess the peristomal skin for irritation each time the appliance is changed
-Treat any irritation or skin breakdown immediately
-Keep skin clean by washing off any excretion and drying thoroughly
-Protect skin, collect stool, and control odor with an ostomy appliance
✔✔ normal color & clarity of urine - ✔✔straw, amber, transparent
✔✔neurogenic bladder - ✔✔impaired neurologic function interfere with normal
mechanisms of elimination
✔✔BUN - ✔✔blood urea nitrogen
end product of protein metabolism
indicator of kidney function
✔✔occult - ✔✔microscopic blood in urine or blood
EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS GRADED A+
✔✔Bulk forming laxatives - ✔✔increases fluid, gaseous, or solid bulk in intestines
Ex: metamucil
✔✔emollient/stool softener - ✔✔softens and delays the drying of fecese; permits fat and
water to penetrate feces
ex: colace
✔✔stimulant/irritant laxative - ✔✔irritates intestinal mucosa or stimulates nerve endings
in wall of intestine, causing rapid propulsion of contents
ex: ex-lax
✔✔lubricant laxative - ✔✔lubricates feces in colon
ex: mineral oil
✔✔saline/osmotic laxatives - ✔✔draws water into intestine by osmosis, distends bowel,
and stimulates peristalsis
ex: epson salts
✔✔Fecal Impaction - ✔✔Mass or collection of hardened feces in folds of rectum
Passage of liquid fecal seepage and no normal stool
Causes usually:
-Poor defecation habits
-Constipation
✔✔Bowel Obstruction - ✔✔*mechanical blockage or paralytic ileus
*higher the obstruction the quicker the symptoms
*Vomiting - malodoruous with fecal smell, hypovolemia, electrolytes
*abdominal distention
*bowel sounds - increased to silent; high pitch at first then go silent
✔✔Diarrhea - ✔✔*Passage of liquid feces and increased frequency of defecation
*Spasmodic cramps, increased bowel sounds
Fatigue, weakness, malaise, emaciation
*Major causes:
-Stress, medications, allergies, intolerance of food or fluids, disease of colon, antibiotics,
iron
✔✔Guidelines for using antidiarrheal medications - ✔✔* if persists more than 3-4days
determine the underlying cause
* long term use of OTC = dependence
* can cause drowsiness and should not drive or operate machinery
* kaolin-pectin prep may absorb nutrients
, * bulk laxatives and other absorbents may be used to help bind toxins and absorb
excess bowel liquid
* bismuth preparation (pepto) often used to treat traveler's diarrhea may contain aspirin
and should not be given to children and teenagers with chickenpox, influenza, and other
viral infections
✔✔Bowel Incontinence - ✔✔Loss of voluntary ability to control fecal and gaseous
discharges
Generally associated with:
-Impaired functioning of anal sphincter or nerve supply
-Neuromuscular diseases
-Spinal trauma
-Tumor
✔✔Flatulence - ✔✔Excessive flatus in intestines
Leads to stretching and inflation of intestines
Can occur from variety of causes:
-Foods
-Abdominal surgery
-Narcotics
✔✔Bowel elimination - assess - ✔✔Size (amount)
Consistency
Occult bood
Odor
Peristalsis
✔✔Stoma Care for Clients with an Ostomy - ✔✔-Normal stoma should appear red and
may bleed slightly when touched
-Assess the peristomal skin for irritation each time the appliance is changed
-Treat any irritation or skin breakdown immediately
-Keep skin clean by washing off any excretion and drying thoroughly
-Protect skin, collect stool, and control odor with an ostomy appliance
✔✔ normal color & clarity of urine - ✔✔straw, amber, transparent
✔✔neurogenic bladder - ✔✔impaired neurologic function interfere with normal
mechanisms of elimination
✔✔BUN - ✔✔blood urea nitrogen
end product of protein metabolism
indicator of kidney function
✔✔occult - ✔✔microscopic blood in urine or blood
