Kelly used a simple score to describe the severity of fecal incontinence. This can be used to assess the patient initially and to monitor the response to interventions.
Parameters:
(1) occurrence of accidents
(2) soiling
(3) anal sphincter action
Parameter
Finding
Points
occurrence of accidents
never
2
sometimes
1
often (50%)
0
soiling
never
2
sometimes
1
always
0
action of the anal sphincter
strong
2
partial or weak
1
absent
0
total score =
= SUM(points for all 3 parameters)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: 0
• maximum score: 6
• The higher the score the better the patient's continence (the lower the score the worse the incontinence).
Total Score
Fecal Continence
5 or 6
good
3 or 4
fair
0 to 2
poor
Limitations (Holschneider, page 193):
• The measures are somewhat subjective.
• A person classified as fair may have accidents, soiling and a weak sphincter.
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