Home management of intestinal stoma: An evidence based review

Abstract

Shortened hospital stays for clients with an intestinal stoma have shifted the focus from institutional care in hospitals to self-care of ostomies to the home setting. Clients with intestinal ostomy experience numerous changes in physical functioning, psychosocial health, and in their sexual life after creation of stoma. This enhances the importance of a guide for home management of intestinal stoma to assist home care clinicians and stoma care nurses, who are determined to make ostomates self-reliant. This evidence-based review focused on published articles from the Medline, CINAHL, Social Sciences Citation Index, Psych INFO, a hand search through selected journals published since 2000, and from references lists, to prepare home management guide for intestinal stoma. This article provides information regarding measures to protect skin around stoma, daily care management for ostomates, and ways to prevent peristomal skin complications.