Abstract
Up to 450 000 people in the United States have ostomies, and 120 000 new ostomies are formed each year. The majority of these are fecal diversions. Determining the amount of healthy bowel proximal to the stoma is essential for short-term and lifelong diet and nutrition planning. People with colostomies and distal ileostomies usually require minimal, if any, diet modifications. On the contrary, more proximal ileostomies are likely to result in significant nutritional losses. These stomas and any high-output stomas require a coordinated approach to management of medications, diet and nutrition, and/or oral rehydration solution.