Solutions to incontinence-associated dermatitis shared
|Published
BART Maene addressing the 3M Skin Leadership Summit in Centurion. Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA) BART Maene addressing the 3M Skin Leadership Summit in Centurion. Oupa Mokoena/African News Agency (ANA)
Pretoria - Experts have found a new way to stop, reverse and prevent incontinence-associated dermatitis, which occurs when the protective barrier created by the skin is damaged.
The health experts said this was caused by exposure to bacteria in urine or faeces, which resulted in painful symptoms such as burning and itching.
The condition primarily affects the area around genitals, thighs and abdomen, the Skin Safety Leadership Summit hosted by 3M in Centurion heard.
The company’s clinical and scientists affairs manager, Bart Maene, said incontinence-associated dermatitis had always been an issue for health practitioners and patients.
“The reason many countries still face this issue is because the available solutions are not protective enough.
“Many of the creams and ointments used get washed off easily, or need to to be reapplied continually, and you find that the nurse forgets to re-apply (it) due to being busy with other patients,” he said.
Maene urged nurses and doctors to treat incontinence-associated dermatitis patients with the same care they treated those with burn wounds.
He said patients with burn wounds and incontinence-associated dermatitis suffered from the same lesions, but from a different cause.
Sister Constance Ntuli from Netcare Unitas Hospital said the summit was insightful.
“I am a wound care nurse and the talk about the prevention of dermatitis was insightful because that is one of the things we have been battling with at the hospital. I cannot wait to go back and tell others about the solutions I have heard here,” she said.
The summit also aimed to reduce the risk of medical adhesive-related skin injuries, a prevalent but under-recognised complication that could be serious enough to require additional treatment.