Marijnen et al developed a 9-item defecation scale for monitoring patients with rectal cancer after therapy. The authors are from Leiden University, Catharina Ziekenuis, Groningen University Hospital and the University of Nijmegen.
Items in scale:
(1) flatulence
(2) pain during defecation
(3) anal pain not due to defecation
(4) fecal incontinence
(5) diarrhea
(6) constipation
(7) tenesmus
(8) blood and/or mucus in stool
(9) irregular defecation
where:
• A patient can have both diarrhea and constipation (not mutually exclusive).
Distress or Discomfort
Points
none (normal)
0
mild
1
moderate
2
severe
3
total defecation score =
= SUM(points for all 9 items)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 27
• The higher the score, the more severe the distress associated with defecation.
The score can be transformed to range from 0 to 100:
transformed score for distress =
= 100 * (total score) / 27
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