January/February 2007
Page 9

Eight Reasons for Pouch Leakage

• Poor adherence to peristomal skin - Apply pouch to dry skin. A warm hand over the pouch for 30 to 60 seconds assures a good seal.
• Wrong size of pouch opening - Be sure that the size of your stoma has not changed. Re-measure and adapt accordingly.
• Folds and creases - Ostomy paste can be used to build up an area in order to avoid leakage. Consult your nurse for proper methods.
• Peristomal skin irritation - Avoid irritated or denuded skin. If any of these problems develop, consult your ET nurse.
• Too infrequent emptying - Pouches should be emptied before they are full. Weight of the effluent may break the seal causing a leak.
• Extremely high temperatures - Wafer melt may cause leakage in warm weather. Change pouch more frequently or try different wafer.
• Pouch wear and tear - If you are stretching your wear time, leakage may be due to wafer wearing out. Change pouch more frequently.
• Improper storage - Store your ostomy supplies in a cool, dry place. Humidity may affect your pouch adhesive. Appliances don't last forever. Ask your vendor what the recommended shelf life is for your brand of pouch.

SOURCE: The Houston Area Ostomy Group: The By-Pass 0n-line, Triangle Ostomy Association, Raleigh, NC, November 2006, via Inside Out On-line Jan/Feb 2007.