GRANADA, Spain – Researchers in Spain have developed a protocol for addressing serious health implications of high output stomas.
The study was published in the May edition of Nutrition Journal.
Surgically imposed stomas are done as a result of intestinal resection in adults and are aggressive secondary surgery for vascular and neoplastic disease, and for the impact of poorly controlled Crohn’s disease. A stoma is a surgically created opening in the abdomen that allows discharge of fecal contents into a bag.
Some patients experience high output from their stomas. The problem of high output has been linked to dehydration and renal dysfunction.
During the study, high output stomas occurred in about 16 percent of the 43 patients participating in this research. The high output stomas were defined as stomas that produced greater than 1500 ml of digested material over two days.
The new protocol developed by this research showed 100 percent effectiveness.