The first sign of a stoma infection may be a pus-like discharge, unusual swelling, increasing redness, or color changes. Some may notice an abscess or an ulcer. A Wound, Ostomy, and Continence Nurse (WOCN) or your doctor will be the best source for medical advice on this issue.
To treat affected skin around the stoma you can use Stomahesive powder under the ostomy appliance. The powder is available from a medical surgical supplier. If skin has a red, raised, itchy pimply rash: If you have a rash this may indicate a yeast infection and you may use an antifungal powder (2% Miconazole).
When the skin becomes infected it can start to look inflamed and the infection tends to cause some swelling around your stoma. The skin colour often changes from a healthy pink/reddish colour, to pale, bluish purple or even black. If there is any discharge of blood or pus this is often a definitive sign of infection.
Get medical help right away if: Your stoma has turned purple, brown, black, or dark red. Your stoma won't stop bleeding. You haven't pooped into the pouch for several hours and you have nausea, belly pain, or you're vomiting.
A bulge in the skin around your stoma. Skin color changes from normal pink or red to pale, bluish purple, or black. A rash around the stoma that is red, or red with bumps – this may be due to a skin infection or sensitivity, or even leakage.
Try several different body positions, such as a knee-chest position, or lie on the side of your stoma with knees bent, as it might help move the blockage forward. Massage the abdominal area and the area around your stoma. Most food blockages occur just below the stoma and this may help dislodge the blockage.
Irritant contact dermatitis is the most common peristomal skin complication. Although attention to proper fit occurs during the inpatient setting, patients need to be refitted postoperatively as stomal swelling decreases.
In general, if you have a colostomy you will change your closed bag one to two times a day and if you have an ileostomy or a urostomy, you will need to empty your bag several times a day and change your bag every three to five days depending on the wear.
Skin Irritation
This is usually due to leakage from the ostomy device. This is when output from the stoma seeps under the adhesive part of the wafer and output is now touching the skin. This can be painful as well as damaging to your skin and your ostomy device.
Taking a Skin Break
Many people enjoy leaving their skin uncovered for 15 to 30 minutes after taking their pouching system off. This is called a skin break. Taking a skin break can help with irritation or keep it from happening. You can decide if you want to take a skin break.
Mucus-discharge is a common part of having any type of stoma. Mucus is produced by the lining of the bowel to help with the passage of stools. The lining of the bowel will continue to produce mucus after stoma surgery, even though it is not needed anymore.
Prescription antibiotics that are used to treat the most common stoma infections are: A topical antibiotic such as fusidic acid. This is a cream that you will apply directly to the stoma. An oral antibiotic such as cephalexin.
Stoma necrosis presents as a stoma that appears either ischemic (dark red, purplish tint or cyanotic hue discoloration), or necrotic brown or black. The stoma may be flaccid or hard and dry. Necrosis may be circumferential or scattered on the mucosa and may be superficial or deep.
Depending on the severity of the prolapse, a referral can be made to the Surgeon for review, but is often not deemed as urgent, unless the prolapsed stoma changes to a very dark/dusky colour, stops functioning or causes pain. Pain may suggest bowel strangulation which is treated as an emergency.
Signs of Stoma Problems
The stoma is no longer beefy red or pink but pale in appearance. The stoma is no longer moist in appearance but seems dry. Your stoma turns dark red, purple, or even black in color. Your stool from the stoma is always watery or diarrhea.
Aside from physical impact (a hard fall, etc.) your bag bursts because of excessive gas accumulation.
It's especially important to keep the skin around your stoma—called peristomal skin—clean and healthy. This helps avoid irritation, infection and potential complications. You'll need to clean around your stoma whenever you change your pouch. The key is to be gentle.
A healthy stoma is pinkish-red and moist. Your stoma should stick out slightly from your skin. It is normal to see a little mucus. Spots of blood or a small amount of bleeding from your stoma is also normal.
If your blockage lasts any more than 8 hours with no movement, you should go to the hospital as it might need surgical intervention!
Spontaneous stoma closure is a rare and interesting event. The exact etiology for spontaneous closure remains unknown, but it may be hypothesized to result from slow retraction of the stoma, added to the concept of a tendency towards spontaneous closure of enterocutaneous fistula.
What causes a stoma blockage? A stoma blockage can be caused by damage to the bowel, such as adhesions and scar tissue, that prevent waste from passing through. But by far the biggest cause of an obstruction is indigestible food. The good news is that blockages caused by food are preventable.