Aim The aim of the project was to investigate the prevalence of peristomal skin disorders in a general population of people with ostomies in Denmark and then secondly finding the cause of the disorders.

Method The study was made up of questionnaires and 2 clinical investigations; first a cross sectional study and then a case-control study (physiological measurements of the skin). 663 people with ostomies received a questionnaire, 338 answered and 202 agreed to participate in the cross-sectional study. The cross-sectional study was a clinical examination of the ostomy patients performed by 3 stoma care nurses, a physician, and 2 dermatologists.

Results Skin disorder • 45% were diagnosed with a peristomal skin disorder.

Severity of the peristomal skin disorders • 57% of the skin disorders were considered by the dermatologist to be of mild severity. • 33% of the skin disorders were medium-rated disorders. • 10% of the skin disorders were severe.

Participants in the study were diagnosed with a disorder when the dermatologists registered deviations from normal conditions in the peristomal skin.

This extensive study holds 512 pieces of information on each of the participants.

Discussion To our knowledge there has never previously been made a cross-sectional study on the prevalence of peristomal skin disorders in a defined population without prejudice toward the presence of peristomal skin disorders in the study population.

This presentation will show/discuss details from the study.

The study was approved by the Ethical Committee of Roskilde Country under journal No. 202-1-54G and partly financed by Coloplast A/S.