Whats involved in stoma inspection?
At each pouch change, check your stoma for color, shape and function. Watch for any stoma problems such as swelling, retraction, stenosis or prolapse. Urostomates should be on the alert for crystal formation or alkaline encrustation (gritty white deposits coating the stoma). Any stoma complication should be reported to your MD or ET. Why will the stoma bleed sometimes? Because the mucous membrane out of which the stoma is formed is so highly vascular, some bleeding may occur with rubbing of the stoma. This bleeding should stop quickly. Prolonged bleeding and increased amounts of bleeding or very easy bleeding may indicate another problem and should be reported to your MD. Can a stoma be cut? Cuts or lacerations of the stoma can occur and some can be quite serious. Because a stoma has no sensory nerves (and therefore no feeling), it can be cut without your actually feeling it. Causes of stomal laceration include shifting of the faceplate or skin barrier, too small an opening, incorrect
