The relationship between fecal kinetics and body temperature was examined in elderly people. The subjects consisted of 34 hospitalized patients over 65 years of age (11 males aged 66-82 years, with a mean age of 70.3 years; and 23 females aged 65-84 years, with a mean age of 72.1 years). Then mean age of all subjects was 71.5 years. The subjects were divided into two groups: the non-constipation (NCP) group (patients who had been evacuating at least once daily) and the constipation (CP) group (patients who had not evacuated for 3 days or more). In the CP group, we analyzed the lowest and highest body temperature during two consecutive days (the day of evacuation and the previous day) and the lowest body temperature during another two days (the day of evacuation and the following day). In the NCP group, 3 consecutive days were selected at random for analyzing the lowest body temperature on the first day, the highest body temperature on the second day and the lowest body temperature on the third day. In the CP group, the body temperature before evacuation wasThe change in temperature was smaller in patients under laxative therapy. In the NCP group, the change in temperature did not differ between patients with cerebral infarction, apoplexy or senile dementia and patients with other diseases. In the CP group the change in temperature was greater in patients with central nervous system disease (p<0.05). The temperature change did not differ between diabetic patients and diabetes-free patients. In the NCP group, the change in temperature increased with age. In the CP group, the change in temperature didn't increase with age, but was great at any age. From the pre-evacuation period to the postevacuation period, leukocyte count decreased, erythrocyte sedimentation rate increased, C-reactive protein remained unchanged, body temperature decreased, and endotoxin level decreased or remained unchanged. These results indicate that elderly people without constipation have increased body temperature as feces increase in the intestine, and that elderly patients with temperature between the pre-and post-evacuation periods, irrespective of their ages.
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