Crusting Method

1. Clean the area with warm water.

2. Dry the area. Use a soft cloth or paper towel.

3. Dust ostomy powder onto the irritated skin.

4. Brush off any extra powder with a tissue or paper towel. This keeps the powder from clumping.

5. Blot or Spray the irritated skin with skin sealant or equivalent product.

(Note - These wipes are not the same as alcohol wipes. In fact, they have no alcohol in them.)

6. Allow the area to dry. (About 15-30 seconds)

7. Repeat these steps another 2 times, if the skin is still moist.

8. Apply your pouching system as you normally would.

9. Change your pouching system every 2-3 days until the skin heals. Repeat these steps every time you change your pouching system until the skin is healed and healthy.

10. Return to your usual routine for caring for your ostomy when your skin is healed and healthy.

What you need (examples of products):

 

• Skin Sealant:

−− 3M Cavilon

−− Smith & Nephew Sting Barrier wipes/spray

−−An equivalent product

 

• Ostomy Powder:

−− Stomahesive Powder (Convatec)

−−Coloplast Ostomy Powder (Coloplast)

−−Adapt Stoma Powder (Hollister)

−−An equivalent product

Order the crusting products from your supplier.

Do not use crusting as part of the regular care of your ostomy (unless your Ostomy nurse has instructed you to use it).

Reference:

Caring for Your Ostomy: What You Should Know

St. Paul’s Hospital, 1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 2K5

2014. My thanks to Neal Dunwoody RN, CWOCN