Ostomy Management Flashcards
6 cards from real NCWO practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 Ostomy Management flashcards as text
A healthy stoma should appear:
Answer: Beefy red or pink and moist
A normal, healthy stoma is beefy red or pink with a moist mucosal surface, reflecting good vascular perfusion of the intestinal mucosa.
When should the stoma pouch opening be cut relative to stoma size?
Answer: 1/8 inch (3 mm) larger than the stoma
The pouch opening should be cut 1/8 inch (3 mm) larger than the stoma to prevent constriction while minimizing exposed peristomal skin contact with effluent.
A colostomy located in the sigmoid colon produces output that is most likely:
Answer: Formed or semi-formed stool, often once or twice daily
A sigmoid colostomy is located at the end of the large intestine, so stool is typically well-formed and output pattern is often predictable.
The peristomal skin complication most commonly associated with enzymatic damage from small bowel effluent is:
Answer: Irritant contact dermatitis (chemical dermatitis)
Small bowel effluent contains active digestive enzymes that cause irritant (chemical) contact dermatitis when they come into prolonged contact with peristomal skin.
An ileostomy differs from a colostomy in that ileostomy output is:
Answer: Liquid to semi-liquid with high digestive enzyme content, requiring continuous pouching
Ileostomy output is liquid to semi-liquid due to the proximal location in the bowel and contains active digestive enzymes, requiring a secure, continuously worn pouching system.
Stomal prolapse is best described as:
Answer: Telescoping of the bowel outward through the stoma, elongating it
Stomal prolapse occurs when the bowel telescopes outward through the stoma opening, resulting in an elongated stoma that may be difficult to manage.