Faeculent

She had several thin and faeculent stools, not like rice water, and had vomiting.

If the fluid is faeculent it will be a yellow-brown colour and smell of faeces.

If vomitus is thicker and foul-smelling (faeculent), a more distal obstruction is likely. This change to faeculent vomiting usually takes place gradually after about 24 hours of complete obstruction and is often an indication for urgent operation. The term faeculent vomiting is something of a misnomer as it comprises putrefying altered small bowel contents rather than faeces.

The increase in intestinal secretions also leads to abdominal distension, reverse peristalsis and eventual vomiting of faeculent matter.

Blood or faeculent material: continual staining of the ascitic fluid with fresh blood or any staining with faeculent material may indicate puncture of a vessel or viscus.

Note: the only time you will see faecal (i.e. true faeces), as opposed to faeculent (i.e. foul looking), vomiting is in patients with a gastrocolonic fistula ... or coprophagia.

Vomiting: ‣ In jejunal obstruction, it is early and persistent. ‣ In ileal obstruction, it is recurrent occurring at an interval; initially bilious later faeculent.