Common stoma problems: a brief guide for community nurses

It is estimated that there are 100,000 people in the United Kingdom who have a stoma, some 47% of whom will suffer at least one complication (Lyon and Smith, 2001). District nurses work with specialist stoma care nurses to manage the majority of these complications, so it is vital that they maintain their knowledge. This article reviews some of the stoma complications that many arise, and uses two case studies to illustrate how these may be dealt with in the community.