The family of a patient with an SCI is concerned with the lack of bowel function 2 days after the injury. What is the best response by the nurse?
a. "Because of his injury, he will always need to have enemas for bowel evacua-tion."
b. "Medical management is delaying bowel action because it places pressure on the injury."
c. "Bowel function should return in ap-proximately 3 days after the accident."
d. "We'll just have to wait and see if bowel action returns this week."
C
Bowel action usually returns with peristalsis on the third day after the accident. The bowel re-sponds to dilation from the content in the bowel and moves without voluntary action from the patient.
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