Adult 'Diapers' and Skin Management
Feb 18, 2015 6:14:31 GMT -8
Post by Lαrα on Feb 18, 2015 6:14:31 GMT -8
Some individuals with Spinal Cord Injury may be in the unfortunate position at some point having to wear adult 'diapers' . I actually forgot (goodness knows how! lol) that after my surgery i wore diapers for approximately 2 weeks and i was not happy at all.
I was more concerned about why i needed to wear them rather than skin management but appropriate skin management and hygiene is essential.
Wet, soiled skin is going to be considerably more prone to skin break down than dry, clean skin. If bacteria gets inside broken skin then there is potential for very serious infections to develop and enter the bloodstream.
Skin moisture isn’t necessarily damaging. But when moisture that contains irritating substances, such as alkaline urine, contacts the skin for a prolonged period, damage can occur.
Urine on the skin alters the normal skin flora and increases permeability of the stratum corneum, weakening the skin and making it more susceptible to friction and erosion.
Fecal incontinence leads to active fecal enzymes on the skin, which contribute to skin damage. Fecal bacteria can penetrate the skin, increasing the risk of secondary infection. Wet skin has a lower temperature than dry skin; wet skin under a pressure load has less blood flow than dry skin.
Urine on the skin alters the normal skin flora and increases permeability of the stratum corneum, weakening the skin and making it more susceptible to friction and erosion.
Fecal incontinence leads to active fecal enzymes on the skin, which contribute to skin damage. Fecal bacteria can penetrate the skin, increasing the risk of secondary infection. Wet skin has a lower temperature than dry skin; wet skin under a pressure load has less blood flow than dry skin.
Preventing incontinence-associated dermatitis
The three essentials of IAD prevention are to cleanse, moisturize, and protect.
Cleanse the skin with a mild soap that’s balanced to skin pH and contains surfactants that lift stool and urine from the skin.
Clean the skin routinely and at the time of soiling. Use warm (not hot) water, and avoid excess force and friction to avoid further skin damage.
Moisturize the skin daily and as needed.
Moisturizers may be applied alone or incorporated into a cleanser.
Typically, they contain an emollient such as lanolin to replace lost lipids in the stratum corneum.
To protect the skin, apply a moisture-barrier cream or spray if the patent has significant urinary or fecal incontinence (or both).
The barrier may be zinc-based, petrolatum-based, dimethicone-based, an acrylic polymer, or another type.
Consider using an algorithm developed by wound and skin care specialists that’s customized for skin care products your facility uses.
Want to read more about this?
How to manage incontinence-associated dermatitis
