Combination of minimum wiping pressure and number of wipings that can remove pseudo‐skin dirt: A digital image color analysis

Abstract

Maintaining and improving skin health and integrity by skin care are major goals in acute and long-term care. 1 Skin integrity is regarded as a quality indicator, 2 and maintaining skin integrity is widely accepted as being more cost-effective than wound treatment. 3-5 Therefore, thousands of patients receive daily routine skin care, including washing, showering, and bathing; these personal hygiene and skin care activities are integral parts of the nursing practice. 1 Bed baths are a type of skin care performed to maintain the cleanliness and

Effectiveness of bed bath methods for skin integrity, skin cleanliness and comfort enhancement in adults: A systematic review

“…Four studies performed interventions regarding differences in wiping (Aoki et al., 2019 ; Konya et al., 2020 ; Konya, Yamaguchi, et al., 2020 ; Matsumoto et al., 2018 ).…”

“…Both oily and aqueous dirt can be removed sufficiently by wiping three times with a pressure level of 10 mmHg or more; wiping three times with 10.0–27.4 mmHg is sufficient for dirt removal without impairing the skin barrier function of healthy adults (Konya et al., 2020 ). A wiping method for dirt removal that used circular motions by shifting outward from the centre was more effective than methods that wiped from the periphery to the centre, or vice versa (Matsumoto et al., 2018 ).…”

“…Konya et al. ( 2020 ) suggested that wiping three times with 10.0–27.4 mmHg is sufficient for dirt removal without impairing the skin barrier function of healthy adults. It is expected that the optimal wiping pressure will be elucidated from this range, but research is currently limited to fundamental studies for healthy adults.…”

“…Konya et al. ( 2020 ) reported that wiping three times with ≥10 mmHg could sufficiently remove oily dirt, and wiping once even with ≥5 mmHg could almost completely remove aqueous dirt. Therefore, even without exerting a strong pressure, wiping at least three times would sufficiently improve skin cleanliness for adults.…”

“…Bed baths are an integral component of nursing care, frequently performed to maintain the cleanliness of patients who have difficulty taking conventional baths (Perry & Potter, 2017 ). When correctly performed, this practice supports skin integrity, skin cleanliness and enhanced patient comfort, and the removal of dirt from the skin or mucous membrane (Konya et al., 2020 ), all of which is done while maintaining skin barrier function (Cowdell et al., 2020 ). Moreover, bed baths are considered a meaningful hygiene care that strengthens the nurse–patient relationship, and improves the patient's well‐being and quality of life (Ahluwalia et al., 2010 ; Veje et al., 2019 ).…”