The Flexi-Seal® Faecal Management System (FMS) is used in patients with little or no bowel control and liquid or semi-liquid stool. It is a better alternative to traditional methods of managing faecal incontinence such as pads, diapers, faecal pouches, and rectal tubes.
A soft silicone catheter is inserted into the rectum and retained by a low-pressure balloon. A collection bag is connected at the other end.
Flexi-seal FMS is designed to
- Reduce the risk of skin breakdown by effective faecal diversion and containment
- Protect wounds, surgical sites, and burns from faecal soiling
- Minimise soiling of bed cloths and linens through effective faecal diversion and containment ( thus avoids contamination of the general environment around the
- patient’s bed
Costs and Benefits
In a evaluation of flexi-seal FMS in NHS hospitals, the average number of times pads needed to be changed each day due to faecal soiling prior to the insertion of Flexi-Seal® was 5. On this basis the average cost of standard care is estimated to be £29.91 per day. Most of the cost is attributed to the cost of nursing time involved. In this evaluation, the average number of times pads needed to be changed each day due to faecal soiling following the insertion of Flexi-Seal® was 2. In comparison with standard care, use of Flexi-Seal® reduces the cost of managing patients significantly in terms of nursing time, but against this has to be set the high initial cost of the system (£228.85).
Recommendation
NICE recommends that healthcare professionals should consider a faecal collection device for people in intensive care settings and people receiving palliative care with faecal incontinence and associated loose stools. This recommendation is based on expert advice and a consensus development exercise, and is justified on the basis that severe uncontrolled diarrhoea is a threat to skin integrity and a major nursing care problem.
Ref
