Frequently asked questions about building a Peristeen® Plus routine for your child
Even if you and your child are confident using Peristeen Plus and enjoying good results, it’s not uncommon to have questions. If your questions are not covered here, you can always call Coloplast Care at 1-855-605-7594 or e-mail peristeen@coloplast.com. Our dedicated Advisors have helped thousands of Peristeen users so don’t hesitate to get in touch.
The following information is not professional medical advice. You should always talk to and rely on your doctor or another qualified healthcare provider for diagnosis and treatment and other medical related questions or concerns.
Q: Should my child eat before or after the procedure?
A: While there is no set rule, most clinicians agree that irrigating 20-30 minutes after a meal or snack helps take advantage of the bowel stimulation that naturally occurs during digestion. Finding and sticking to a set time for your child's irrigations can help.
Q: What should I do if irrigation water and/or feces do not come out?
A: Your child may be dehydrated and your child's bowel has absorbed the irrigation water as a result. Wait a day and try again at the same time. If the same thing happens, the Coloplast Care team will be able to advise you. You may also need to adjust the amount of water being used for your irrigation.
Always contact your healthcare provider before making any adjustments.
Q: How long should each irrigation last?
A: This varies from individual to individual. Remember to keep track of the time it takes in the diary and over time you’ll discover what works best for your child. Contact your Care Advisor at 1-855-605-7594 for educational resources.
Q: My child sometimes experiences abdominal cramps when using Peristeen Plus – is this normal?
A: Cramps may be a sign that the water is too cold, but may also indicate that the gut is starting to contract, which is a positive sign. Try pumping more slowly, or stop the procedure for a few minutes and re-start when the cramps disappear. Wait 20-30 minutes after meals to make sure your child's stomach is not full. It can help to make sure you empty your child's bladder before irrigating. The cramps will often subside as your child gets more accustomed to the treatment. Cramps should never be intense or painful. If that is the case, you should contact your healthcare professional immediately.
Q: What if my child experiences bowel emptying between irrigations?
A: This may be due to insufficient emptying as a result of constipation or hard stool. Your child may need to stay on the toilet longer to ensure all the water has come out and they have emptied their bowels sufficiently. Or they may need adjustments to water or oral medications, so follow up with your healthcare provider.
Q: Should my child keep taking bowel medication (such as laxatives)?
A: Your child should continue to take any medication prescribed by the doctor. Be sure to consult your child's clinician if you would like to make any changes to your child's medications.
Q: How do we avoid black spotting in the tube?
A: This is likely due to residual water in the tubes. Make sure to dry them out by hanging the control unit over the shower with the tubes hanging down. However, if black stains should appear, contact your Coloplast Care Advisor, who can help you with a replacement. Please refer to product ‘Instructions for Use’ for intended use and relevant safety information.
Information from Coloplast® Care is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice and should not be interpreted to contain treatment recommendations. You should rely on the healthcare professional who knows your individual history for personal medical advice and diagnosis. Prior to use refer to product labeling for complete product instructions for use, contraindications, warnings and precautions.
Indication: The Peristeen® Plus Transanal Irrigation System is intended to instill water into the colon through a rectal catheter, which incorporates an inflatable balloon, inserted into the rectum to promote evacuation of the contents of the lower colon. The Peristeen Plus Transanal Irrigation System is indicated for use by children (2 years - <12 years old), adolescent (12 years - < 18 years old), transitional adolescent (18 - <21 years old) and adult patients with neurogenic bowel dysfunction who suffer from fecal incontinence, chronic constipation, and/or time-consuming bowel management procedures.
Contraindications: Peristeen Plus Transanal Irrigation must not be used in the following situations: known anal or colorectal stenosis, colorectal cancer (active/recurrent), radiotherapy to the pelvis, and recent abdomino-perineal surgery, active inflammatory bowel disease, acute diverticulitis, severe diverticulitis, previous diverticulitis and diverticular abscess, chronic symptomatic diverticular disease, within 3 months of abdominal, anal or colorectal surgery, within 4 weeks of endoscopic polypectomy, recent colonic biopsy, recent endoscopic mucosal resection (EMR) and recent endoscopic sub-mucosal dissection (ESD), severe autonomic dysreflexia, ischemic colitis, during Spinal Cord Shock Phase, complex diverticular disease, in patients who are pregnant and have not used the system before*. Since the list is not exhaustive, the healthcare professional should always consider individual patient factors as well. *If the patient is pregnant and has never used transanal irrigation before, they should not start the irrigation procedure during pregnancy.
Warnings: Peristeen Plus Transanal irrigation procedure should always be carried out with caution. Bowel perforation is an extremely rare, but serious and potentially lethal, complication to transanal irrigation and will require immediate admission to a hospital, often requiring surgery. See the device manual for complete user instructions, contraindications, warnings, precautions, and potential complications/adverse events. For further information, call Coloplast Corp at 1-855-605-7594 or consult the company website at www.coloplast.us. Caution: Federal law restricts this device to sale by or on the order of a physician.
