What it means
In nursing, elimination means passing urine and stool. Normal patterns vary from person to person, so nurses learn each client's usual habits and watch for changes such as constipationkon-stih-PAY-shunBowel movements that happen less often than usual, with hard, dry stool that is difficult to pass.Full entry , diarrheady-uh-REE-uhLoose or watery stools, usually three or more times a day or more often than normal for the person.dia- through-rrhea flowFull entry , incontinencein-KON-tih-nensLoss of control over the bladder or bowel, so urine or stool leaks out without the person meaning it to.in- notcontin/o to hold back-ence state ofFull entry or urinary retentionYUR-ih-nair-ee rih-TEN-shunBeing unable to empty the bladder completely, or at all.Full entry . In pharmacology, elimination is how the body gets rid of a drug, mainly through the kidneys and liver; a drug's half-life describes how fast it happens.
For the nurse
Offer toileting on a regular schedule, give privacy, keep the call light in reach and record output. Slower drug elimination in older adults and in kidney or liver disease can lead to drug buildup.
At a glance
| Spanish | eliminación |
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Related terms
constipation
Bowel movements that happen less often than usual, with hard, dry stool that is difficult to pass.
kidney
One of two bean-shaped organs in the back of the belly that filter the blood and make urine.
voiding
Passing urine; emptying the bladder.
fecal
Having to do with feces, the solid waste passed from the bowel; stool.