When to use a barrier cream in patients with a stoma

摘要

There are about 100 000 people with a stoma, also known as an ostomy, in the UK (Black, 2009).There are three main types of stoma: a colostomy, an ileostomy and a urostomy (also known as an ileal conduit). A colostomy is red and lninimally raised above the surface of the skin, and will generally pass formed faeces into a closed bag. An ileostomy and a urostomy will ideally have a small spout of about 25mm protruding from the abdominal wall. An ileostomy will usually pass loose, sludge-like faeces (containing enzymes that can break down the skin if they are in prolonged contact with each other) into a drainable bag. A urostomy will pass urine and a small amount of mucus into a drainable bag that is fastened with a bung or a tap (Burch, 2008).These bags can be used alone, but many people with a stoma (ostomates), in addition to their appliance, also need a stoma accessory, such as a barrier cream.