What is the primary purpose of colostomy irrigation?

• A. Cleanse the bowel
• B. Prevent skin irritation around the stoma
• C. Enhance electrolyte absorption
• D. Reduce the number of stools

Answer: (A)

Colostomy irrigation is a procedure used to flush the colon through the stoma with warm water to evacuate stool. The primary purpose is to cleanse the bowel, so stool contents are removed in a controlled way. This cleansing helps establish a predictable evacuation pattern, giving the person more control over when and how much stool is discharged. It isn’t about preventing skin irritation, enhancing electrolyte absorption, or merely reducing the number of stools; those are either addressed by other interventions or are indirect results rather than the main goal of irrigation.