n. 1. the process of separating the broken ends of a bone when they have been forcibly driven together during a fracture. 2. (faecal disimpaction) see constipation.
n. a condition in which bowel evacuations occur infrequently, or in which the faeces are hard and small, or where passage of faeces causes difficulty or pain. The frequency of bowel evacuation varies considerably from person to person. Constipation developing in a person of previously regular bowel habit may be a symptom of intestinal disease and may require further investigation. Recurrent or longstanding constipation is treated by increasing fluid intake, *dietary fibre (roughage), *laxatives, or *enemas, and by withdrawing medications that promote constipation (such as opiates). Faecal impaction, the end-result of chronic constipation (more common in the elderly and the very young), often requires manual removal of the faecal bolus (faecal disimpaction), sometimes under an anaesthetic.... constipation
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