Table 1.
Gastrointestinal complaints with scoring
| Variables | Grading | Bowel function | Constipation | Diarrhoea |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stool frequency |
≤1 stool per week |
2 |
3 |
0 |
| 1-2 stools per week |
1 |
2 |
0 |
|
| 3-6 stools per week |
0 |
1 |
0 |
|
| 1 stool daily |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 2-3 stools daily |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
| 4-5 stools daily |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
| ≥6 stools daily |
2 |
0 |
3 |
|
| Stool consistency: “Bristol Stool Form Scale” |
1. Separate hard lumps, like nuts |
2 |
2 |
0 |
| 2. Sausage-shaped but lumpy |
1 |
1 |
0 |
|
| 3. Like a sausage or snake but with cracks on its surface |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 4. Like a sausage or snake, smooth and soft |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 5. Soft blobs with clear-cut edges |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
| 6. Fluffy pieces with ragged edges, a mushy stool |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
| 7. Watery, no solid pieces |
2 |
0 |
2 |
|
| Straining |
≥25% of defecations |
|
1 |
|
| < 25% of defecations |
|
0 |
|
|
| Manual manoeuvres |
≥25% of defecations |
|
1 |
|
| < 25% of defecations |
|
0 |
|
|
| Feeling of incomplete evacuation |
≥ 25% of defecations |
|
1 |
|
| < 25% of defecations |
|
0 |
|
|
| Sensation of ano-rectal obstruction |
≥ 25% of defecations |
|
1 |
|
| < 25% of defecations |
|
0 |
|
|
| Sum score (range) | 0 – 4 | 0 – 9 | 0 – 5 |
The numbers are the scores related to each symptom with the sum score at the bottom. Low scores indicate normal function.