With government reforms increasingly bringing care into patients’ homes, community nurses will inevitably encounter more and more people who have a stoma. Stomas essentially involve the maintenance of a permanently open breach of the skin, therefore, the site requires expert skin care as it is vulnerable to stripping and break down. This article looks at the use of silicone-based adhesive removers, which improve quality of life and can also reduce healthcare costs as they prevent the escalation of peristomal skin dysfunction. These products also help to prevent costly ongoing treatment for the effects of stripping on sensitive peristomal skin.

Jackie Stephen-Haynes, Professor and Consultant Nurse in Tissue Viability, Birmingham City University and Worcestershire Health and Care NHS Trust