A new approach with a novel silicone adhesive stoma bag: a clinical study on peristomal skin and quality of life

Good skin integrity is vital to good health. It acts as a barrier to microbes and toxins, and any breaches in the skin can have a negative impact on the overall health of patients, as well as cause pain and discomfort (Payne, 2020).

The vulnerability of the skin surrounding a person's stoma (peristomal skin) presents a major challenge for people living with a stoma, as well as stoma care nurses (SCNs).

Healthy peristomal skin is intact and does not cause distress, nor impair the quality of life (QoL) of the person living with the stoma (Burch et al, 2021). However, the peristomal skin is highly vulnerable to damage and this is reflected by the fact that more than 80% of ostomates have skin problems around their stoma within 2 years of surgery (LeBlanc et al, 2019).

Some examples of peristomal skin complications that ostomates may experience include medical adhesive-related skin injuries/skin stripping (MARSI), moisture-associated skin damage (MASD) and contact dermatitis (Burch et al, 2021). Such complications are often a result of leakage (Voegeli et al, 2020), as well as ostomates' limited choice of stoma bags, with a hydrocolloid adhesive flange/baseplate, potentially leading to detrimental effects on their peristomal skin (Lager and Loxdale, 2021).