Enterostomal Therapy Service: Ten-year Experience at B.P. Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital

Abstract

Introduction: Enterostomal therapy (ET) is the newly evolving subspecialty area of nursing. None of the university started the ET courses in Nepal. Very few ET nurses catering the needs of osteomates in different hospital. Increasing burden of colorectal and urinary bladder cancer increases the ostomy population. There are no definite data regarding the ostomy population in national context. So, this is the neglected area of care in most cancer hospital of Nepal. The objective of this study is to find out the total number of ostomy population in terms of types of ostomies, age, sex, geographical distribution, complications and stoma service availability at BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital.
 Methods: A descriptive study was carried out retrospectively at, BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital, Bharatpur Nepal and approved by nursing department. All available data were abstracted from stoma clinic from 2008 to 2018.
 Results: There were total 659 ostomates registered in the stoma clinic. Among them majority 63% were male. There were main three categories of ostomate namely colostomies (66.7%) 440, Ileostomies (9.8%) 65 and urostomies (23.3%) 154. Ostomate represented from 56 districts. International osteomate also took services from the clinic. Peristomal skin excoriation, Parastomal hernia, stoma prolapsed were complications reported by the osteomates.
 Conclusion. This aspect of ostomy care and management deserves an investment of research to find out the reliable data.

Development of Oncology Nursing in Nepal: Historical Perspective

“…Nursing care for breast cancer patients focused on lymphedema prevention and its management. Stoma creating surgery emphasized the care of stoma, prevention of peristomal skin complications, foul order control, leakage control, appropriate use of ostomy appliances, and colostomy irrigation 5 . The role of enterostomal therapist (ET) was recognized by Norma Gill and Dr. Turnbull in 1954, then in 1961 opened the school for enterostomal therapist in Cleveland clinic to increase the number of enterostomal therapist.…”

“…In contrary, these specialist job was very effort consuming due to unavailability of different appliances and modern dressing materials in our part of the world which has demotivated those nurses to carry their jobs. 5 Another important role of the nurse is as a counselor, especially for the patient who underwent stomy surgery, vulvectomy, penectomy, limb amputation, mastectomy, and other physically disfiguring surgical procedure. It was found that dealing with a patient who lost the selfrespect and body image is very tough.…”