“The Challenges of Preventing Moisture Associated Skin Damage in the Intensive Care Units Using a Spray on Skin Sealant

The prevention of moisture associated skin damage has become a challenge to the clinical practitioner’s in the intensive care units.

A spray on skin sealant can assist with the challenge of skin protection, irritated incontinence damaged skin, protecting healthy skin from the body’s own fluids, and preventing peri- wound maceration. In the intensive care units the population of the elderly, immunosuppressed, transplants, cardiac disease, DIC patients; it is noted that they often have very fragile, thin, and compromised skin.

Using a non sting skin barrier is an effective modality to reduce and prevent the alteration in skin integrity, prevent maceration, reduce pain to the patient and preserve healthy surrounding tissue.

We have treated 5 patients over the last 12 months with a skin sealant. Patient #1was a Liver Transplant with multiple co morbidities and gross generalized pitting edema with noted weeping of trunk sites and all extremities. Patient #2 and #3 had macerated peri anal and gluteal fold sites with mechanical skin stripping secondary to thick protective creams; noted with erythema and localized pain. Patient #4 was untreated Incontinence Dermatitis, sacral, peri-anal, and inner thigh sites. Patient #5 had severe maceration to the peri- stomal site secondary to a retracted stoma, inappropriate ostomy appliance, and non use of a skin barrier.

The study demonstrates the use of a skin sealant as a skin protectant and barrier as an effective modality of treatment in pain reduction to the patient; protecting healthy skin, prevention of mechanical force skin stripping; healing macerated and damaged skin and functioning as a barrier to prevent further skin damage as a result of exposure to causative substances. The use of the skin sealants demonstrated effective results in the management, prevention, and healing of moisture associated skin damage in the ICU.