Epidemiological characterization of ostomized patients attended in referral Center from the city of Maceió, Alagoas, Brazil

Introduction Several clinical conditions imply the realization of a bowel ostomy, as a treatment option. However, the presence of a stoma is an important limitation in the quality of life of the ostomized patient. Aim To define the epidemiological profile of patients enrolled in the Ostomy Program from two reference services in the city of Maceio, Alagoas, regarding gender, age, classification (as permanent or temporary), type of ostomy with respect to the bowel segment used, and causes. Method This was a descriptive cross-sectional study whose data were obtained from registration forms of active patients in Ostomy Programs on May 2013. Results Of 216 patients analyzed, 50.5% were female and 49.5% male. The age group with the highest number of cases was that between 60 and 69 years (23.6%) and the average age was 51.3 years. Colostomies accounted for 89.4% of the procedures performed, and 56.9% of procedures were temporary ostomies. As for the cause, the most prevalent was colorectal cancer (40.7%), followed by trauma (18.1%) and acute abdomen (12.0%). Conclusion The study provides relevant data that can be used as input for prevention and strategies to improve the health of the ostomized population.