RN Exam Practice
Physiological AdaptationQuestion 1218 of 2368

A child with chronic constipation has liquid stool leaking around hard stool in the rectum. The nurse understands this is most likely because:

  1. the colon is absorbing too little water from the stool.
  2. the child has lost the sensation of needing to have a bowel movement.
  3. the child has a viral infection of the intestine.
  4. the child is eating too much fiber.
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Correct answer: the child has lost the sensation of needing to have a bowel movement.

In chronic functional constipation the urge to stool is lost, and liquid stool can leak around the harder stool.

Source: Nursing Health Promotion (Open RN, Chippewa Valley Technical College, 2025), Other Childhood Disorders: Pathophysiology. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Practice the topic "Physiological Adaptation"

Questions last reviewed: 18 October 2026