Medical Oncologist
CION Cancer Clinics
Your stoma emergency card: what to write and when to use it | CION Cancer Clinics
A stoma emergency card is a wallet-sized note that tells a doctor or security officer you have a stoma, which type it is, and who to call. You can make and print your own using the list on this page. It matters most when you cannot explain yourself, because a stoma changes how some tests and medicines are given. Keep copies with you and your family. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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On this page
- What is a stoma emergency card, and why carry one?
- What should the card say?
- Where does the card make a real difference?
- How do you make a card that stays useful?
- What should a doctor know before giving medicines or tests?
- Why do people not carry one, and what is actually true?
- Common questions about stoma emergency cards
The short answer
What is a stoma emergency card, and why carry one?
A stoma emergency card is a small card you keep in your wallet or bag that tells a stranger, in a few lines, that you have a stoma and what they need to know. You can make one yourself from the list on this page, print it, and keep copies with you and your family.
Why it matters in an emergency
If you are brought to a casualty department in pain, confused or unable to speak, the doctor there may not know your history. A stoma changes how some tests are done, how some medicines work and how quickly you can become dry. A card puts that in front of them in seconds, before anyone has to find your file.
Why it helps on an ordinary day too
A card saves long explanations at airport security, at a new clinic, or when a family member takes you to a hospital far from home. It also stops the details living only in one person's memory.
What this page cannot do
It cannot replace your discharge summary or your stoma nurse's advice. The card is a pointer to your care, not the care itself. Carry your reports as well when you travel, and ask your own team to check what you have written.
Copy this onto your card
What should the card say?
Write the most important lines first. Print this list, fill it in by hand, and cut it to wallet size.
- I have a stoma
- Say which kind: colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy. Add whether it is temporary or permanent if you know.
- Why and when
- The operation you had, the month and year, and the reason, for example bowel or bladder cancer.
- Hospital and surgeon
- Where you were operated on, your surgeon's name and the hospital's phone number.
- Stoma nurse
- A name and number for the nurse who knows your stoma best.
- Appliance details
- The make, product code and baseplate size of your bag, so a spare can be found.
- Medicines and allergies
- Every regular medicine by name, and anything you react badly to.
- Two family contacts
- Names and mobile numbers of people who can come or answer questions.
Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistWhen to show it
Where does the card make a real difference?
Show it early, before anyone starts a test or a medicine.
Casualty or emergency
Hand it over as soon as you arrive, or ask your family to. It tells staff not to take a temperature or give medicine through the stoma, and to check for a blockage or dehydration first.
Scans and camera tests
Some tests need a bowel wash-out or a drink beforehand. With an ileostomy, that preparation can make you lose a lot of fluid quickly. The team may change how they prepare you.
Airports and bus or train travel
A security check may find the bag under your clothes. Showing the card quietly usually means a private check and fewer questions.
Keep with it
- A spare bag and wipes in your hand luggage
- Pre-cut baseplates, since scissors may be taken away
A hospital stay for something else
If you are admitted for a fall, a heart problem or childbirth, the ward may have little stoma experience. The card tells them who to call for help.
!
When to use the card today
Go to the nearest emergency department the same day, with the card, if the stoma has produced nothing for several hours and you have cramping pain, a swollen belly or vomiting. Go too if the stoma turns dark purple or black, bleeds heavily from inside, or an ileostomy pours out watery output while you feel dizzy or pass very little urine. Do not wait for your next clinic visit.
Leave a number, we will call you
One field. No form to fill in, and no charge for the call.
Making it
How do you make a card that stays useful?
Write it with your nurse
Fill in the lines above at a clinic visit, and ask your stoma nurse or surgeon to check the details. Use clear capital letters, or type and print it so it can be read easily.
Put it in two languages
Write English on one side and Telugu, or your family's language, on the other.
Make copies
Keep one in your wallet, one in your stoma supply bag and a photo on your phone. Send the photo to two family members on WhatsApp so they have it when you cannot reach your own phone.
Update it
Change the card whenever your medicines, bag or stoma nurse change. An out-of-date card can mislead. A plastic sleeve protects it from rain and sweat.
For the treating doctor
What should a doctor know before giving medicines or tests?
The single most useful thing is the type of stoma. A colostomy, an ileostomy and a urostomy each change different things, and your card should make clear which one you have.
With an ileostomy
Stool leaves the body before the large bowel has absorbed much water, so you can become dry quickly with vomiting, heat or loose motions. Some tablets, especially slow-release or coated ones, may pass through without being fully absorbed. Your doctor may choose a different form of the same medicine. Laxatives and bowel preparation for tests need extra care.
With a colostomy
The bowel below the stoma may still be there, or may have been removed. Medicines or tests meant for the back passage may not apply. The stoma itself should not be used to take a temperature or give a medicine unless your own team has advised it.
With a urostomy
A urine sample should be taken from the stoma itself with a clean catheter, not from the bag, where urine has been sitting. Kidney function is worth checking in anyone who is unwell.
Never stop or change a medicine because of what you read here. Show the card and let the prescribing doctor decide.Commonly believed
Why do people not carry one, and what is actually true?
"My family knows everything, so I do not need a card."
Family members are not always with you, and in a crisis even they forget names of medicines or the bag code. A card works when nobody who knows you is in the room.
"Any hospital will know what to do with a stoma."
Casualty doctors see stomas, but they may not know your type, your operation or your usual output. Small details, such as whether you have an ileostomy, change how quickly they treat dehydration.
"Carrying a card tells everyone my private business."
The card stays in your wallet until you choose to show it. You decide who sees it.
"Once the stoma has settled, the card is not needed."
Emergencies such as blockage or a hernia can happen years after surgery. Travel and new doctors keep coming too. A card stays useful for as long as you have a stoma, as long as it is kept up to date.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about stoma emergency cards
Is there a ready-made stoma card I can print?
Some stoma nurses and appliance companies give out pre-printed cards. You can also make your own from the list on this page, which covers what an emergency doctor needs. Print the list, fill it in by hand, and ask your stoma nurse to check it at your next visit before you rely on it.
Should the card mention cancer?
It helps to say why the stoma was made, and cancer is part of that. A doctor will think differently about pain or bleeding in someone who has had bowel or bladder cancer. You do not need to write details of stage or treatment. Your discharge summary can carry those if you want to share them.
Can I just keep the details on my phone?
A phone photo is a good backup, but a paper card is safer as the main copy. Phones get locked, lost or run out of charge, and staff cannot unlock yours if you are unconscious. Many phones also have an emergency medical screen worth filling in.
Does my caregiver need a copy?
Yes. The person most likely to take you to hospital should carry a copy or keep a photo. If you live with an elderly parent, or you look after someone with a stoma, put a copy near the door or on the fridge, where anyone arriving in a hurry can find it.
What if I cannot read or write English?
Ask a family member, your stoma nurse or the hospital counsellor to write the English side for you. Keep a Telugu side so you and your family can read it too. What matters is that a doctor in any hospital and the people around you can both understand it.
Should I list the bag supplier and where I buy it?
It is useful. If you are admitted suddenly, your family can bring the right bag from the right shop. Write the make, the product code and the baseplate size exactly as they appear on the box. Update the card if you switch to a different product.
Does a card help if my stoma has been reversed?
After reversal you no longer have a stoma, so the card as written is out of date. Some people keep a short note instead saying they had a stoma that was closed, and when. It can help a doctor think of a hernia or a problem at the old join if you are unwell later.
Who can I ask to check what I have written?
Your stoma nurse is the best person, followed by the surgical team that made the stoma. If you no longer have a nurse, call the CION helpline. We can help you check the details and point you to stoma support closer to where you live in Telangana.
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Sources
- NHS — Ileostomy
- NHS — Colostomy
- American Cancer Society — Ostomies
- Cancer Research UK — Bowel cancer
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
Blockage: Recognising It and What to DoThe emergency your card is most likely to be used forDehydration With a High-Output StomaWhy doctors need to know if you have an ileostomyTravelling and Flying With a StomaAirport checks and what to pack with the cardStoma Nurses and Ostomy Support in TelanganaSomeone to check your card and help with problems
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