Comparison of Medical Tape Performance Using Skin Response Quantitative Measurements on Healthy Volunteers.

Area of Science:

• Dermatology
• Biomaterials Science
• Wound Care

Background:

• Medical tapes can cause skin damage, especially in patients with fragile skin.
• Assessing tape-induced skin injury is crucial for patient safety and product selection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effects of silicone-based versus acrylate-based medical tape adhesives on skin barrier integrity.
• To evaluate skin condition and potential damage after tape removal in healthy volunteers.

Main Methods:

• Two studies were conducted with 88 healthy volunteers using four commercial tapes (two silicone, two acrylate).
• Evaluated skin adhesion, protein and corneocyte removal, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1a) induction.

Main Results:

• Silicone tapes showed varied adhesion, with one acrylate tape having the lowest adhesion; adhesion did not correlate with removed proteins/corneocytes.
• Silicone adhesives removed significantly less protein and corneocytes compared to acrylate adhesives.
• Acrylate adhesives increased TEWL, while silicone adhesives did not; no differences in IL-1a induction were observed.

Conclusions:

• Silicone adhesive tapes are less disruptive to the skin barrier than acrylate tapes.
• Findings suggest silicone tapes may be preferable for minimizing skin trauma, even in healthy individuals.
• Data can inform clinical decisions regarding medical tape selection and application.