Abstract
Stool retention more commonly affects children. It is a clinical finding in which a child resists bowel movements resulting in infrequent defecation, which then becomes larger and more painful. If left unaddressed, it may result in fecal loading or fecal impaction. Fecal impaction is a common gastrointestinal problem and a potential source of morbidity. Prompt identification and treatment therefore minimize the risks of complications. Treatment options include manual disimpaction and proximal or distal washout in the absence of complications. We report 3 cases of children who presented in the past 2 years, with stool retention due to undigested mountain papaya seeds.Key words: Prickly mountain papaya seeds, Stool retention, Fecal impaction, Manual evacuation.
Highlights
Fecal impaction is a common gastrointestinal disorder and a source of significant patient discomfort with potential for major morbidity especially in the pediatric and elderly population [1]
We report 3 cases of children who presented to Nyeri County Referral Hospital during the past 2 years, with fecal retention due to undigested mountain papaya seeds with complications necessitating extensive treatment, including manual disimpaction and in one case colostomy
Nyeri County Referral Hospital is the largest of the 7 public hospitals in Nyeri County, which covers an area of 3,337.2 km2, with a population of approximately 720,708 people [3]
Summary
It is a clinical finding in which a child resists bowel movements resulting in infrequent defecation, which becomes larger and more painful. If left unaddressed, it may result in fecal loading or fecal impaction. Prompt identification and treatment minimize the risks of complications. Treatment options include manual disimpaction and proximal or distal washout in the absence of complications. We report 3 cases of children who presented in the past 2 years, with stool retention due to undigested mountain papaya seeds.
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