Elimination Disorders: Treatment

This entry focuses on the treatment of two elimination disorders: (1) encopresis (i.e., involuntary defecation) and (2) enuresis (i.e., involuntary urination). The choice of the treatment approach for treating encopresis greatly depends on the type of encopresis. Two types of encopresis—(1) retentive encopresis, encopresis with constipation and overflow incontinence, and (2) nonretentive encopresis, encopresis without constipation and overflow incontinence—are indicated, with the majority of children with encopresis presenting with retentive encopresis. The treatment approaches for enuresis vary according to the type of enuresis—nocturnal only, diurnal only, or nocturnal and diurnal enuresis—with most of the children with enuresis presenting with nocturnal enuresis.

This entry presents the primary treatment approaches for treating retentive encopresis—medical management and medical-behavioral approaches—and interventions for nonretentive encopresis. This is followed by an introduction ...