Structured skin care regimen to prevent perineal dermatitis in the elderly

A preliminary investigation was conducted to determine the efficacy of a structured skin care regimen to prevent perineal dermatitis in incontinent geriatric psychiatry patients. A 10-week, prospective, clinical trial was conducted (n = 15). Four weeks (weeks 2 to 5) were devoted to monitoring the unstructured pretreatment nursing skin care practice and to determining the incidence of perineal dermatitis in incontinent patients. Four weeks (weeks 7 to 10) were also spent implementing and observing the structured nursing skin care regimen. The study revealed that 33% (three) of the subjects in the unstructured skin care group and 33% (two) of the subjects in the structured skin care group had perineal dermatitis. In subjects with a combination of urine and stool incontinence perineal dermatitis developed within 2 days. The findings suggest that perineal dermatitis occurs quickly in the presence of urine and stool incontinence. Further research is needed to validate the efficacy of a structured skin care regimen to prevent perineal dermatitis.