Clear stools?

[jschut]

There is a lady in our LTC who has recently had a stroke. When we take care of her and roll her over to clean her up, there is like a clear gel looking substance in her brief.

Could it be clear stool? I've never heard of such a thing, and I don't remember anything like this in nursing school.

[jschut, BSN, RN]

Gator~

That's what I thought too at first, and no it's not dumb. But that's what it looks like, is that stuff....

But even when she had a cath, it was still this way....

[BrandyBSN]

does it look kinda like KY jelly?

[jschut, BSN, RN]

No, not really. More like that stuff that's on Spam.

Remember that stuff?

But that's what it looks like, only totally clear.

I know you all must think I am crazy.....but I am serious!

This woman is having absolutely clear stool!

And it's like a gelatin!

I swear!

Am I crazy?

[Reabock]

I have seen this too, several times over the years. Sometimes the person has a colostomy and sometimes not. It has a distinctive odor also, not like a BM and not like an infection either, not very unpleasant, but very distinctive. I have seen it in chux as well as Depends or whatever type of diaper you use.

[BrandyBSN]

I was actually considering having a SPAM sandwich for dinner... 100% honestly. I think I will hold off on that for a while.

I have actually experienced haveing a completely clear stool as well. Had to do with a round of inflammatory Bowel syndrome. the mucous lining is "sluffed" off due to irritation, kinda like the stomach lining. Also happens in Crohn's.

That might give you a direction to look

[sharann, BSN, RN]

Only on a nursing site would there be 20 responses to this topic!

It is fun though :)

Now, I thought KY jelly too like Brandy did, after thinking of inflammation mucus. Had she had a suppository ? Let us know if you figure it out...you may not. Some of these things are just mysteries.

[blonndei, rn]

I know this response is 7 years late, but I was researching to find out why my LTC patient had clear, gelatinous stools and found this post. He also had tympanic bowel sounds to percussion, very hypoactive bowel sounds to auscultation, and pain with palpation. Vomited several times in 24 hours a dark green/brown thin liquid. No stools until the clear gelatin-like BM. Sent him to the ER, and he was found to have a perforated bowel. He ended up having 12 inches of bowel removed and a resection done. I still don't have the exact pathophysiology of it, except that it could be mucus from inflammation. However, it was not your normal stringy mucus. When he comes back to us and I find out the "how" and "why", I will post another response.