Lack of bowel or bladder control could indicate brain or spinal cord injury. What is this condition called?

Lack of bowel or bladder control could indicate brain or spinal cord injury. What is this condition called?

• A. Incontinence
• B. Infusion
• C. Infiltration
• D. Inspiration

Answer: (A)

Loss of control over bowel or bladder is called incontinence. Incontinence means the body cannot maintain voluntary control of urine or stool, which can occur when the brain or spinal cord pathways that manage pelvic function are damaged. In a trauma or neurologic context, new incontinence is a red flag for possible brain or spinal cord injury and signals the need for careful neurologic assessment and monitoring. Infusion is the act of delivering fluids into the body, not a loss of control of bodily functions. Infiltration refers to IV fluids leaking into surrounding tissue, not loss of bowel or bladder control. Inspiration is the act of breathing in, which is unrelated to this symptom.

Loss of control over bowel or bladder is called incontinence. Incontinence means the body cannot maintain voluntary control of urine or stool, which can occur when the brain or spinal cord pathways that manage pelvic function are damaged. In a trauma or neurologic context, new incontinence is a red flag for possible brain or spinal cord injury and signals the need for careful neurologic assessment and monitoring.

Infusion is the act of delivering fluids into the body, not a loss of control of bodily functions. Infiltration refers to IV fluids leaking into surrounding tissue, not loss of bowel or bladder control. Inspiration is the act of breathing in, which is unrelated to this symptom.