Creating Colostomies for Sacral Pressure Ulcers: A Single-Centre Retrospective Study

Faecal contamination of sacral pressure ulcers occurs frequently, so, theoretically, faecal diversion using colostomies is a useful procedure. We retrospectively analysed the data of adult patients for whom colostomies were created to enhance wound healing and compared patients with sacral pressure ulcers who received colostomies and those who did not during the same period. Patients' characteristics analysed included age, gender, comorbidities, WBC count, serum CRP level and microbial profile (before creating colostomy). Additionally, we examined whether the wound was closed, the recurrence rate after wound closure, and mortality outcomes. Regression analysis indicated that colostomy creation was associated with fewer species of gut microbiota cultured and lower rates of wound dehiscence after closure; no association was found between colostomy and mortality. Colostomies help promote wound healing of sacral pressure ulcers after closure by eradicating wound infection, and do not increase patients' mortality rates.