medical information
RECTUM-PROLAPSE OF
Protrusion of the lining of the rectum occurs chiefly in infants and in elderly persons. The immediate cause is straining at stool or (in the more serious cases) merely coughing or engaging in muscular exertion as lifting. The condition becomes serious if the tissue is allowed to remain in the prolapsed condition long enough for it to be damaged from reduced blood supply. The tissue may be returned to its normal internal location by lubricating it and then exerting gradual pressure through a clean towel. For an infant this is made easier by lifting the baby by its heels while the replacement is attempted. In an adult, the replacement is facilitated by the patient's taking the knee-chest position.
