Leakage Resources

Many ostomates experience leaks at some points in their lives. However, some experience frequent leaks, which lead to physical complications such as sore skin, bleeding and pain, as well as having a negative impact on their emotional wellbeing and quality of life. Worrying about leaks can result in reduced sleep, social isolation and low mood — all of which can be emotionally exhausting and stressful. Effective stoma management is essential to prevent leaks and maintain peristomal skin integrity, such as the use of convex base plates. There are five characteristics of convexity which when applied correctly can reduce leaks and improve skin health, namely: depth, compressibility, flexibility, tension location and slope. These characteristics work together to achieve the desired outcome. However, tension location can be used in a different method to flatten large creases and dips. This helps to promote skin integrity and improve patient comfort and confidence in managing their stoma, as this article describes.

Over 124,000 people in the UK have long-term indwelling catheters (Gage et, al, 2017; Nazarko, 2017). Indwelling urinary catheters increase the risks of infection and ill health (Feneley et al, 2015; Public Health England [PHE], 2016). They can leak, block and management can be burdensome for the person with the catheter, caregivers and health service (Cottenden et al, 2013). This article updates readers on how to reduce the risks of infection, leakage and catheter blockage, and how to manage these problems when they occur.