Dermatologic Effects and Management of Urine and Feces on Infant and Adult Skin

Journal Title: Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research - Year 2014, Vol 4, Issue 19

Abstract

The effect of urine and feces on the skin is a contributing factor to the development of incontinent and diaper dermatitis. The objective of this research was to evaluate skin effects of a given urine or fecal sample on the donor child and/or an adult caregiver, both of whom would be exposed to the biological material in course of daily life. Methods: Urine was evaluated under a variety of experimental skin conditions: normal (N), compromised by tape stripping (C), hydrated by prolonged exposure to water via occlusive patch (H), and hydrated/compromised (H/C). After pre-treatment, sites were patched (3 times of 24-h each) with 0.5 ml infant urine, saline (negative control) or 0.3% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS, positive control). Fecal material was evaluated using a 4-h patch followed by tape stripping of selected sites. Results: In the urine study, a single 24-h patch produced a significant elevation of pH compared to both the negative (saline) and positive (sodium lauryl sulfate) controls for all experimental skin conditions. Erythema produced by urine was intermediate between the negative and positive controls, and significantly different from the negative control on the N and C skin test sites. All three materials produced an increase in hydration of the skin. The single 4-h patch of fecal material produced significant erythema, a significant elevation of pH, and a significant increase in TEWL. Recovery to pre-treatment levels was observed by the next day on sites that received no further treatment. However, on sites patched with fecal material, then further compromised by tape stripping, recovery to pre-treatment levels for erythema and TEWL were delayed. Conclusion: These studies indicate that urine appears to have an inherent low level irritant property when in continuous contact with skin for 24 to 48 hours. With relatively short exposures of 4 hours fecal material causes visible erythema, increases in pH and TEWL, and decreases in stratum corneum resilience to the subsequent insult of tape stripping. Results re-inforce the utility of modern diapers and incontinent products, utilizing superabsorbent materials, to effectively absorb wetness, keeping skin dryer and minimizing adverse skin effects.

Authors and Affiliations

Miranda A. Farage, Ghebre Tzeghai, Kenneth W. Miller, Bruce Tepper, Rob O’Connor, Wendy Qin, Mauricio Odio

Keywords

Related Articles

Automatic Extraction of the Aorta and The Measurement of Its Diameter

Aims: The objective of this research is to extract the aorta and to measure its diameter for preoperative planning of heart surgeries such as Endo Vascular Aortic Repair (EVAR) or Aortic Valvular Replacement (AVR). Stud...

Patient Dignity in Coronary Care: Psychometrics of the Persian Version of the Patient Dignity Inventory

Aim: The Patient Dignity Inventory (PDI) is a valid and reliable questionnaire. This questionnaire was created by Chochinov in 2002 and is used to measure various sources of distress related to the dignity of patients. T...

Brachial Artery Flow Mediated Vasodilatation Changes in Endothelium Due to Hyperuricemia in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Aim: This study aims to evaluate serum uric acid levels and assess its effect on endothelial dysfunction by measuring flow mediated vasodilatation (FMD) of brachial artery in type 2 diabetes mellitus. Study Design: Obser...

Dietary Risk Factors for Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease: A Confirmatory Case-Control Study

Aims: This study’s primary purpose was to determine whether earlier findings suggesting an association between sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), a transmissible spongiform encephalopathy of humans and specific d...

Assessment of Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BP/CR) among Pregnant Women in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo State, Nigeria

Birth Preparedness and Complication Readiness (BP/CR) are very important tenets of Focused Ante-Natal Care (FANC) aimed at reducing maternal morbidity and mortality. This study assessed birth preparedness and complicatio...

Download PDF file
  • EP ID EP349375
  • DOI 10.9734/BJMMR/2014/10006
  • Views 72
  • Downloads 0

How To Cite

Miranda A. Farage, Ghebre Tzeghai, Kenneth W. Miller, Bruce Tepper, Rob O’Connor, Wendy Qin, Mauricio Odio (2014). Dermatologic Effects and Management of Urine and Feces on Infant and Adult Skin. Journal of Advances in Medicine and Medical Research, 4(19), 3671-3688. https://europub.co.uk./articles/-A-349375