Peristomal skin complications: prevention and management

Peristomal skin complications are the most common reason ostomy patients visit an outpatient wound, ostomy, and continence nursing service. Prevention and management of peristomal skin complications are critical components of ostomy care. Identifying risk factors for the occurrence of peristomal skin complications according to types of injury and clinical features can help optimize assessment and management approaches. Treatment can further be addressed based on etiology - chemical injury (irritant contact dermatitis, pseudoverrucous lesions, and encrustations); mechanical injury (pressure/shear, stripping, mucocutaneous separation, mucosal transplantation); infection (Candidiasis, folliculitis); immunologic disorders (allergic contact dermatitis); and disease-related lesions (varices, pyoderma gangrenosum, malignancy). The importance of prevention and the impact of having access to knowledgeable care providers cannot be over-emphasized.