Consideration of Factors related to Stoma Self-care by Patients with a Stoma during Hospitalization

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors related to stoma self-care during hospitalization, and to provide suggestions for nursing aid focusing on stoma self-care.

Method

Medical records were retrospectively reviewed for patients with gastrointestinal stoma who received stoma site marking at our hospital from January to October 2012.Review items included personal factors, preoperative treatment, stoma care, and postoperative complications. Patients were divided into two groups, namely a stoma self-care group and a stoma non-self-care group. The two groups were comparatively analyzed by unpaired t-test and Fisher’s exact probability test, and a logistic regression analysis was carried out with binary variables which tended to show correlation to self-care as dependent variables. Statistical analysis software EZR was used for the analysis.

Results

Of the 100 patients reviewed, 78 patients were placed in the self-care group, and 22 patients in the non-self-care group. For the self-care group, a significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in shortness of hospital stay, understanding ability, stoma acceptance, and higher motor skills. For the non-self-care group, a significant difference (p<0.05) was observed in older age, sufficient financial resources, delirium, and refusal of stoma care. In addition, factors related to stoma self-care were older age (OR: 0.87; 95%CI: 0.81-0.94, p<0.01) and inability to accept a stoma (OR: 10.7; 95% CI: 2.7-42.2, p<0.01).

Discussion

Patients with a stoma who are older in age and those unable to accept a stoma tended to refuse stoma self-care. Hence, encouraging patients to accept a stoma and providing older patients with specific nursing assistance focusing on stoma self-care should be reconsidered.

Conclusion

Factors related to stoma self-care were determined to be the inability to accept a stoma due to older age. It is suggested that, for patients with these characteristics, implementation of practical nursing care focusing on stoma self-care is needed.