Introduction: Stoma and ostomy are Greek terms meaning mouth or opening done to treat several benign and malignant intestinal conditions, due to a change in bowel habits, anatomically modified by surgical creation of an opening in the abdominal wall involving parts of the gastrointestinal tract. Formation of colostomy is sometimes necessary and at other times mandatory. The colostomy patients wear a disposable pouch to collect the stool. A colostomy may be temporary or permanent, depending on the medical reason for the surgery Methodology: quantitative observational descriptive study design was used to assess the knowledge and practices of stoma care among patients at tertiary care hospital, data was collected through the standardized questionnaire regarding stoma care. The questionnaire consists of 28 items. Results: The findings of this study revealed that there are poor knowledge and practices of patients regarding stoma care. Conclusion: In this study, patients with moderately levels of knowledge about stoma care and those who cannot manage all aspects of care independently were not more psychosocially adjusted to their stomas than persons with high knowledge and not more dependence on others for care. The results of this and other studies suggest providing knowledge and emphasizing/teaching self-care before hospital discharge may optimize quality of life for persons with a colostomy.
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