Readers can understand a scientific text more effectively when it is supported by visual aids such as graphs,tables,diagrams,photographs and flow charts. Graphic material must appropriately complement the message. Line graphs are better than tables for showing trends. Bar charts are better than line graphs for presenting rough quantitative information. Pie charts are acceptable when there are no more than five segments and when they are not too small. Flow charts should have clearly-defined flows that are easily discernible to readers.
　In the interpretation of data,one must take care to avoid nasty pitfalls,such as using the wrong control group for comparison,ignoring the covariance in analysis,and so on.
　It is also important to choose a test of significance and a statistical method capable of extracting the required information from the data; e.q. a χ2 test must not be used on data which have been arranged correctly. Otherwise,considerable misinterpretation of data will occur.

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　To understand the physical,psychological and social characteristics of elderly patients with enterostoma,we performed a self-administered questionnaire survey by mail. The respondents consisted of 68 patients representing 62％ of the proposed participants. We divided the respondents into three groups according to their age. The older patients tended to feel constrained when they ate dinner with others,used the same bedroom as a spouse,used the same bathroom as their family,and hesitated to do exercise. Most of them had not changed their technique for stomal care since their discharge.
　The results of our survey suggested to us that we should recommend that the older patients periodically visit our outpatient office to receive new information about stomal care.

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　To study the wet-expansion of the skin barrier as a criterion for the timing of reapplication of skin barriers,we observed the physiological action of the peristomal skin and monitored its manifestation on 20 patients undergoing stoma rehabilitation.
　Measurements were taken on healthy skin,skin on which skin barrier was dissolved,skin on which the material of skin barrier was wet-expanded,and skin to which tape was adhered.
　When the skin under wet-expanded skin barrier was compared with the skin under the non-expanded skin barrier,there was a significant difference in pH and transepidermal water loss（TEWL）but no significant difference in hydration state.
　The study indicates that the wet-expansion of skin barrier can be useful in determining the time to reapply the skin barriers.

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　A 61-year-old female,who had undergone a Miles operation with a sigmoid colostomy 6 months before,complained of dyspnea and cloudy consciousness due to severe metabolic acidosis. Although an initial physical examination could not prove acute abdomen,the fact that her sigmoid colostomy showed ischemic change 6 hours later suggested gangrenous-type ischemic colitis. An emergent laparotomy revealed intestinal necrosis mainly at the splenic flexure,extending from the left transverse colon to the sigmoid colostomy. A left hemicolectomy and end--colostomy of the right transverse colon were performed. As the re-established stoma has neither been depressed nor stenotic,she has been able to take care of the stoma by herself. It is important to examine the stoma and to consider this finding as a significant “physical sign” in the case of acute abdomen.

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　We treated a 67-year-old female ostomy patient suffering from a condition in which her skin barriers peeled off earlier than expected. Her trouble appeared to be due to a hydrophobic-based suppository,which had dissolved. In order to verify this speculation,we conducted a comparative study to clinically examine the influence of hydrophobic-and hydrophilic-based suppositories on the adhesiveness of skin barriers. Results showed that the hydrophobic-based suppository,when dissolved,spreads along the border face between the skin and the skin barrier to weaken adhesiveness,whereas the hydrophilic-based suppository,in its dissolved state,is absorbed by the skin barrier. These findings clarified the fact that the hydrophobic ingredient in dissolved suppositories,when these are administered to ostomy patients,exerts a negative inflence upon the adherence of the skin barrier.

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