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Give enough privacy as the
insertion of suppository can be
unpleasant and embarrassing for
the person.
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Explain
to the person what you are about to do to reduce anxiety and gain cooperation.
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If
the person has difficulty going to toilet, have a bedpan or commode ready
near his bed.
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Wash
your hands before the procedure.
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Place
paper towels or incontinence sheet underneath the person's buttock to
prevent the bed sheet from getting soiled.
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Ask
the person to lie on one side with upper leg drawn up toward his abdomen.
This position exposes the anus and helps the person to relax his external
anal sphincter muscle. Lying left lateral is preferred because of the anatomical
position of the rectum and colon.
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Keep
the person covered with a blanket or sheet, exposing only his anal area,
to avoid embarrassment and to give him warmth.
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Put
on glove or finger stall. A finger stall should go on your index
finger.
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Remove
suppository from the wrapper and rub it with your fingers to make it smoother
and to warm up the surface. (If the suppository is soft, place in the
refrigerator for a few minutes
to harden it before removing the
wrapper.)
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Lubricate
the gloved finger with a water-soluble lubricant such as K-Y Jelly to make insertion
easier.
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Retract the person’s buttocks with your
non-dominant hand. With
the gloved index finger, insert the suppository gently about 3cm to 5cm (for
adults) into
the rectum. To be effective, the
suppository must be placed along
the wall of the rectum rather
than into fecal matter.
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Ask
the person to take slow deep breaths through his mouth during the insertion
so as to relax his anal sphincter muscle.
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Allow
a few seconds to elapse before withdrawing the finger slowly to prevent
expulsion of the suppository from the rectum.
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Wipe
away excess lubricant at the anal area to provide comfort.
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Advise
the person to remain flat or on his side in bed for 5 minutes to prevent
expulsion of suppository.
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Instruct
the person to hold his bowel action for 30
minutes. It
is normal to have immediate urge to defecate due to anal dilatation during
insertion. However, time is required for the medication to be dissolved
and absorbed
for desired action.
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Wash
your hands after the procedure.
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Follow-up
the result and document.
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