What defines a complete peristomal fistula?

• A. All effluent drains into the stoma.
• B. Drains only into the skin not through fistula.
• C. 100% of the effluent drains through the peristomal skin fistula.
• D. There's no drainage.

Answer: (C)

Focusing on how effluent moves in a peristomal fistula helps identify what “complete” means. A peristomal fistula is a tract that carries intestinal contents from the gut to the skin around the stoma. When we call it complete, it means every drop of effluent uses that fistulous route, not the stoma itself. So all drainage goes through the peristomal fistula to the skin around the stoma, i.e., 100% of the output.

This contrasts with other patterns where some effluent would still drain through the stoma or there would be no drainage at all. The complete pattern highlights a situation where the fistula is the sole drainage pathway, which has implications for skin protection and management.