Hospital enemas

It seems like a lot of posters on Zity have had many hospital stays going back many decades. I would like to know how many of you remember the details about those enemas, such as what was the volume, and were you made to take the contents of the bag. Were the prep enemas larger? Were hospital enemas more of a challenge than home style?

I had one in 1961 before orthopedic surgery in the morning. The student nurse came in with a stainless steel can with 1000 cc. of soap suds (the standard pre-op amount). It had a latex hose with a red rubber rectal tube, about 15 inches long. They inserted the rectal tube about 11 inches, had me in Simm's position. She slowly let the water flow and tried to engage me in conversation about the Mad Magazine on my table. (I was 17 and mortified, because she was 19). I started to cramp toward the end, so she lowered the can and I finished it off.

This was the most comfortable enema I had ever had. My mom never drained the air from the tubing and held the bag up as high as she could get it, to "get it over quick". Mom's were very painful.

I fell in love with this student nurse right away.

I have had many hospital enemas and most of the time they only fill the bag about half full .but lately have not had good results so they have been increasing the volume the last one was about three qrts, the nurses are very good with me when i need a session seems the older nurses do the best job of cleaning me out

Had a hospital enema prior to my first colonoscopy, many years ago. It was preceded the night before by a small bottle of oral laxative that kept me up all night. For some reason they had given me both the normal hospital gown as well as bottoms. At 6Am 2 black enema nurses wheeled in a bucket on a stand. I don't know what the solution was or how much was in the bucket but I got the impression it was pretty full. The one giving the enema stood on my left,the other on the right side of the bed. They watched as I fumbled with the knot holding the bottoms in place and then kicking them off. I lay on top of the bed and hiked up the gown to my waist and then rolled onto my left side and bent my right leg. The nozzle itself was white and rather angular rather than smooth curves, but it stayed in place once inserted. The flow was then started. After I'd taken 1/3, I was told to roll onto my stomach. This part seemed to go very quickly as it seemed no time at all before I was told to lie on my right side for the final 1/3. Other than the humiliation of knowing both front and back were very exposed, there was no physical discomfort during the enema administration. I think I had to hold the solution for 5-10 minutes before I was allowed to get up and evacuate. The truly daunting part was the colonoscopy itself--seeing that large black tube coiled on the end of the table. The doc and assistant, feeding it into me hand over hand. It was momentarily uncomfortable going around the flexures but otherwise ok. They put on a training tube so I could see the inside of my colon--fascinating.

The most memorable hospital enema I've ever received came unexpectedly, and was one of the most unpleasant I've ever been given. I had hernia surgery in 1998, and was admitted for prep the evening before the day of the surgery. The surgeon didn't mention anything about enemas during the office consultation, and at the hospital that night a nurse gave me a large glass of salty tasting stuff that was supposed to make me poop. I did within an hour, and I was thinking that was it for any type of bowel prep. But to my surprise, I was awakened at 5:30AM, roughly 3 hours before surgery. A little brunette CNA told me she needed to administer a bowel prep by way of cleansing enema. I told her she must have the wrong patient, and told her about the stuff they made me drink. She said it was for something different, and the RN confirmed I was to receive an enema. It really upset me, because I wasn't expecting it. But in short, I was placed on my side and a nurse stuck a soft plastic tube up my rectum several inches. It was uncomfortable going in. It felt like she was trying to roto-rooter a bathtub drain she stuck it up there so far. A large bag filled with milky solution was hanging on a hook overhead, and it was a little hot. I couldn't hold over half of it, and had to go. I thought I would explode before she took the tube out. I shit that stuff everywhere around the toilet, and it kept coming out in torrents. It ended in a big loud fart, and I wasn't happy. What a way to start off a stressful procedure like surgery..... with an invasive and embarrassing rectal intrusion and cleanout by young females. I was a bundle of nerves, but the anesthesiologist was an angel. She gave me a shot to calm my nerves before they took me back to surgery.

I only had a Fleet type enema in hospital which comes in these little plastic bottles. Neither can nor bag enema during the times I was in hospital.

I think I was ten yrs. old and in the hospital for recovery from a burst appendix. I heard a 'squeaking' wheel coming down the hall and into my room. The nurse had some newspapers in her hand as well, including some Sunday funnies (in color) and I asked if she was going to read the funnies to me. She replied that "no, she was going to give me an enema. The newspapers were to protect the bed. This was 1943 or 44.

The enema was a white enamel irrigator, rubber hose with about a 32 Fr colon tube attached. I then learned about the Left Side Simms position. It was the first of many (every 3rd day) during my long stay in the hospital.

Hospital enemas since were the same until the 'plastic' world of 1500cc buckets and plastic bags.

Then the most unusual: It was 1957, I was out of the service and not under the fear of "grounding" by a Flight Surgeon and wanted to find out more about this 'Mega colon' that had been discovered while I was on Active duty. I had gone to a G.I. doctor and he suggested a series of tests starting with a Barium Enema. I was told to nothing by mouth after midnight and report to his office for the procedure where I was turned over to a very young nursing assistant for prepping. The first 'few' were very proper...draped, etc. --butt then it became a real WTFOver and we were coming up on #17 when the doctor stuck his head in the door asking what was taking so long. She said that she was merely doing enemas "until clear".....whereupon the doctor said, "We just wanted no lumps".

I was rolled into another room where a white enemal irrigator was hanging on a stand with a black douche nozzle with a large bulb on the end. It was the first time I saw that type of nozzle.

The BE went well....especially after 17 enemas....and the tests that followed did indeed establish an over-sized in diameter and also length of my colon; a true "Mega Colon". The doctor ended up telling to get a good enema bag, teach my wife how to administer and keep my bowels clean, never going past three days.

I was 25 and the start, or ongoing rest of my life. I had learned to enjoy them as well, making things easier.

the boxcar

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I have found after being in the hospital recently that they ate quick to give the fleets. However, upon request I have not had a problem with receiving a large volume soapy enema series. Just have to ask! Enemas until clear... with soap. The nurses are great with keeping my bottom up!

I don't know about any other hospitals around. But in a large hospital Enemas are the Norm before any operation. They don't want any fecal matter coming out anywhere. The Hospital I was in had a team. They would come in and see the day before and give you an idea of what was about to take place. Usually it as all women! The reason they have discovered is that women are more gently than men when if comes to enemas. Looked at the chart, ask if I had enemas before..How much and where.? One nurse rolled me over and wanted to see what my anal muscle was like....I was in a feisty mode anyway. I told her if she finds and gold up there I want half! They all laughed...One of the enema team Nurses told me..We will be in here early tomorrow morning. Might be around 5ish. I told them that would be fine. Your going to get only jello this evening. Will be quick when we return tomorrow morning. Your going to get a sedative in the enemas, this will relax you for the operation! I was to have a A-ablation on my heart. Right on time. .They came in with several tree's loaded down with several color of bag enemas..Reminded me of a rainbow..Of course the gown was removed...They put me up on some type of a wedge of a pillow. Told me that my stomach needs to drop or something like that. First quart was a bit warm I guess that had the sedative in it for after that first quart I was no long stressed out. 2nd quart then the 3rd. I was helped off the bed and put on the toilet. was quick. one of the Nurses stayed with me with me listen to my heart and my bowels...After the initial voiding. It was quick...I was ready for another bank she said. More this time a redish color..that was quick....then back on the toilet. Then came the rinse..I kinda lost count after that. I could hear them talking but couldn't understand what was being said. I was being cleaned up with something really icky, then came the Cath. I was happy I was in LaLa land I bet that would hurt...Rolled me down to the ER. I woke up in the room. The Doctor told the ICU nurse under no circumstance does this patient have any stressful BM's ..I was in ICU for four days. First thing in the morning I would get a cleaning enema, after lunch got another one, after supper the same thing. That went on for four days...felt really weak. From ICU to a regular room...Being that my BM's were so much easier. I asked the Nurse if I could continue with what I had in the ICU, The Charge Nurse was called. So I asked her the same thing!? She couldn't see any reason why not..She leaned against the door and said most people don't like that procedure done! They would rather have stool softeners or Mir-lax. I told her I'm not a patient man..being I'm a Klienfelter non of those work for me. takes forever to have a BM. So that is what she ordered PRN... I went from 3 a day to one after supper. The Nurse that would give me the enema said your body needs to have something in it. or you will be with us for a long time.

I don't know about any other Hospitals around. But in a large Hospital Enemas are the Norm before any operation.

In the past possibly. I have had 3 surgeries in the past 30 years and never an enema except once where it was recommended for me to have one at home prior to the surgery (outpatient). This was not because of contamination concerns, but because they were worried that with my constipation things would get real bad with the narcotics.

This may be different if the surgery is on the GI tract or abdominal.

As a physician I can tell you that enemas before surgery are simply not given. That may have been true once sixty years ago but not now. For gut surgery, if a bowel cleanout is required, PEG solution is used as for a colonoscopy.

A-Fib. ER told me we are going to keep you for observation for a week and see if you level out. A Patient Advocate comes around to see if you ave any questions. Along with A-fib I'm also Constipated! She told me right off with out breaking the conversation talk to your Nurse when she comes in! Nurse comes in awhile I'm putting on the gown., In this hospital actually sits down. Brings up my chart. The ER actually relayed on that I was constipated, but didn't relay how bad..I guess she had seen that from ER before. Listen to my Heart, hooked up the heart listening device with little stickies all over the body. Asked me to roll over on my stomach. did a quick anal check of the rectum. Told me the options the hospital had for my situation ..They don't work for me! I told her. I'm a Klienfelter. Will of course they didn't put that in my chart!!! If they have never heard of it. They won't put it in there I have since heard. So you being the patient YOU have to tell them. She was right up front-what your asking is you want a SSE! Yes.! I told her. These nurses are wired for comm. She called one of her CNA's to go to the Pharmacy and pick up a SSE! The CNA asked how much? The Nurse said 2 quart size! I'm not sure but I think that was around 5000ml...I know there was a bunch of numbers on the side of the bag that said ml's... With a retention nozzle Please!!! When the CNA came in with a Roll around Tree with large bag swinging back and forth. I could see the perspiration dripping off the bag...The CNA asked if she should stay and help me get out of bed when it was time to void! The Nurse asked me if that was ok. I said sure. She finished the rest of the Physical Asst... Told the CNA to get 4 more pillows to put under hips...Hooked up the Pulse monitor, and some type of a sound devise on my stomach In all my times in hospitals never had this done of course my heart was in racing mode....I was helped up on the stack of pillows of course when that takes place your gown becomes Air Conditioning City...Told the CNA to Lubricate my anus and inside as well! As soon as that was done. The Nurse pushed the retention Nozzle deep inside the anus I could feel it go a ways up in me....She started to inflate the nozzle. the strangest feeling I've ever had. Being face down..you can only hear what is going on above you. Heard someone run the solution off into the trash can so there wouldn't be any air left in the hose... The CNA did the connecting and started the enema. Took my breath away but for a short time...Got used to the Soap Suds flowing, your colon reacts to the SSE with in seconds. I didn't cramp up once...The Nurse told the CNA to slow down the flow...It felt like hours went by...actually was only 45 min or so. I heard the noise the bag makes when runs dry. Someone clamped off the hose, the CNA was called off to help with something else.. You let me know when you think you can't hold any longer and I will deflate .the nozzle and you can void Someone said. being the enema was a bit warm didn't take long for the cramping to start. I told the Nurse..she deflated the nozzle helped me off the bed.. helped me to the toilet.. I'll be back she told me..Don't know how long I sat there..The Nurse poked her head in.. How are you doing.? What is next... I asked....I was still hooked up wires all over the place. Get back on the bed and lets see what the monitor says! No bowel sounds...Never seen that before she said. Called the Charge Nurse into the room. Told her what just took place and no Bowel sounds. Got to have bowel sounds with a SSE...If your patients is up to it! Give him another SSE that should clear everything out completely.the Charge Nurse told her!!!...The next bag that came in was the color of sand, the nurse told me your going to notice a slight urge to void as soon as I release the enema. but couldn't! Retention nozzle in place..you may want to but it isn't going anywhere.. My Colon was making all sorts of noises now! Cramping was really starting to let me know something was going on..Took me a while to get the enema out of the bag into me..But finely I was ready to void. she walked me in the bathroom told me to squat and she removed the nozzle, Splatter all over the seat. and the odor was terrible..She was going to call house keeping I told her just bring me some towels and I will clean it up...didn't take long...I was really weak after that SSE...Bowels was really making a fuss. We came out of the bathroom there was a larger bag of clear water for the rinse...back in went the retention nozzle...I got a rinse. after that. I went to sleep after I voided. The next morning for a Nurses report I was a topic of conversation never seen anything like me ever........

Klienfelter said

I don't know about any other Hospitals around. But in a large Hospital Enemas are the Norm before any operation . . . .

Liquidsky said

As a physician I can tell you that enemas before surgery are simply not given. That may have been true once sixty years ago but not now. For gut surgery, if a bowel cleanout is required, PEG solution is used as for a colonoscopy.

Liquidsky speaks the truth.

The colon does not have to be empty before surgery and there is even an article I read a few weeks ago comparing no bowel prep to bowel cleanouts prior to colon surgery in 4800 patients and it didn't even make a difference in infection rates, surgical success rates or even survival.

Since I like rules, references and numbers, here is the review article:

Updated Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials on the Role of Mechanical Bowel Preparation Before Colorectal Surgery

https://journals.lww.com/annalsofsurgery/Abstract/2009/02000/Updated_Systematic_Review_and_Meta_Analysis_of.5.aspx

@Klienfelter

Why do you say you are a "Klienfelter" and spell the name of the syndrome that way everywhere you mention it?

The syndrome is KLINEFELTER.

As a physician I can tell you that enemas before surgery are simply not given. That may have been true once sixty years ago but not now. For gut surgery, if a bowel cleanout is required, PEG solution is used as for a colonoscopy.

In general, I agree with that, but I know that the Hospital for Special Surgery gives the patient a Fleet oil enema to take the night before knee replacement surgery for a lower bowel cleanout -- at least it did two years ago.

In general, I agree with that, but I know that the Hospital for Special Surgery gives the patient a Fleet oil enema to take the night before knee replacement surgery for a lower bowel cleanout -- at least it did two years ago.

Could be similar to mine, where they're trying to avoid narcotic induced constipation, though with mine I had to be lying around for a while and had constipation issues already, whereas from what I've seen knee replacement people are up and around pretty quickly. Even there they wouldn't have recommended it except for the IBS/constipation history.

Could be similar to mine, where they're trying to avoid narcotic induced constipation, though with mine I had to be lying around for a while and had constipation issues already, whereas from what I've seen knee replacement people are up and around pretty quickly. Even there they wouldn't have recommended it except for the IBS/constipation history.

While I was up and out of bed the day after surgery and began walking, I was on opiods for about 10 days following the surgery. The Fleet might well have been given to avoid narcotic induced constipation, from which I suffered for about another week or so.

They gave you a 45 minute SSE plus two others with uncontrolled atrial fibrillation? I don’t believe it. You wouldn’t be able to tolerate it. Constipation under those circumstances is just not that important.

I think we've picked up a master fantasizer in our new member, Kleinfelter. His posts are stimulating, but don't have much reality in them. They might do well in fantasy stories, but just do not fit the norm of hospitals and bowel protocols today. Enemas are labor intensive today and hospitals do anything to reduce those procedures.

His descriptions are nice to imagine and dream about. We klysmos. would love it if those things actually happened; 4 females attending to us with 3 and 4 bags full of fluid. Just too good to be true!

To further inject reality into this, all the nurses I know detest giving enemas because it’s time consuming and they don’t like it.

To further inject reality into this, all the nurses I know detest giving enemas because it’s time consuming and they don’t like it.

This statement is true, amongst the young nurses. I dont mind giving a patient any type of enema to help them. The point still remains we cant. The Doctor has to order it. We cant do it on our own period

To further inject reality into this, all the nurses I know detest giving enemas because it’s time consuming and they don’t like it.

And an expensive enema from someone who doesn't want to give it and probably doesn't have good technique isn't high on my list of things I gotta do. I'd rather give myself one I think.

Klienfelter said

. . . . She called one of her CNA's to go to the Pharmacy and pick up a SSE! The CNA asked how much? The Nurse said 2 quart size! I'm not sure but I think that was around 5000ml. . . .

5000ml ???

You think they gave you a FIVE LITER enema ????

Prior to the birth of my first child I was warned by several people, including my mother, that I would get a large soapy enema in the labor room. While I was no stranger to enemas I knew that one would not be the same and certainly not fun. I got a Fleet. For my second child there was no time for an enema of any kind.

I have been fortunate to not have been in the hospital for any reason other than the birth of my children.

Enemas are prescribed for the patient to do at home for a lot of gyn surgeries such as cone etc. just a single fleet type.

Well, all I can say is GOD doesn't like DIRTY. all I look for nowadays are Nurses. I have an RN whos in her early 70s who I pay for an intense SSE until clear session every month. No sex. Great enemas. facebook has connected me with another RN who I just started talking to, who said that she might be interested in prepping me for my next BE with enemas. and I just hooked up with an old friend on FB who has moved down south and has become a CNA. To my surprise, she has agreed to give me a cleaning like I never had before when she comes up here to visit in the summer!! Either you guys are wrong about Nurses, or I'm just one of the luckiest guys around. I love Nurses... oh, by the way, a couple of years ago my doc told me that he was trying to get one of the nurses in the hospital where he worked to prep me for the BE he wanted me to go for. never happened. neither did the BE.but he did write me an order for enemas until clear, which I still have...

Okay Folk, here's the latest from the NW; Group Health Cooperative was purchased by Kaiser Permanente last year. KP's thrust is profit and the way to do that is to reduce "labor intensive procedures". I was told a couple of weeks ago that enemas at the MOR (Minor Operating Room) are being discontinued...requiring to go to the ER if that required. I started asking questions and my PA went to bat for me. Now I can have up to 2 events a month due to my medical history, etc.

Last Tuesday I reported for two Soap- Suds 1500cc enemas. I asked for another but was turned down. Nice, huh?

the boxcar

Some of the posts on here bolster the medical community's claim that enemas have no merit in todays medicine. I have been saying all along that enemas have been, and still are a beneficial treatment for many ailments, including prep for childbirth. Way too many doctors go along with big pharma in promoting drugs in places where more simple, time tested remedies are better, these doctors have put their patients well being aside for more profitable but dangerous drugs.

Manybags, they can be beneficial for some things, but there is no way I would subject a laboring mother to one! She's putting up with enough as it is.

Manybags what drug does a ob/gyn substitute for an enema ?

That is absolute nonsense!

It has been proven less medical intervention during the labor / birthing process is most beneficial to mom and baby .

The pre birthing enema has been debunked many moons ago .