Review suggests automated stool management system may reduce costs and nursing time in ICU fecal incontinence

This is a narrative review examining the use of the Qoramatic Automated Stool Management (ASM) system compared to traditional absorbent pads and indwelling balloon catheters for managing fecal incontinence in United States intensive care units. The review synthesizes data from four patients' subgroups, with follow-up duration not reported, and does not specify if it is systematic or meta-analytic.

The authors report that the ASM system may reduce per-patient care costs by 80–94.5% (from $242–$1,344 vs. $1,215–$24,615 for traditional methods) and decrease nursing time by 91–96% (from 6–14 vs. 66–348 minutes per day). They also note that leakage and device-related injuries were nearly eliminated, and hospital stays were shortened by up to 30%. However, absolute numbers, p-values, and confidence intervals are not reported for these outcomes, limiting the ability to assess statistical significance or precision.

Key limitations include the small sample size of four patients' subgroups and lack of reported statistical measures, which reduces the robustness of the findings. The review does not address adverse events, funding, or conflicts of interest. In practice, while the authors describe the ASM system as a transformative solution warranting broader adoption, clinicians should interpret these results cautiously due to the observational and limited nature of the evidence.