Prevention and management of moisture-associated skin damage
Intended for healthcare professionals
Evidence and practice    

Prevention and management of moisture-associated skin damage

David Voegeli Independent nurse researcher and consultant, Southampton, England

Why you should read this article:
  • To enable you to outline the various types and characteristics of moisture-associated skin damage

  • To understand the importance of preventing contact between the skin and excessive moisture

  • To identify the role of optimal skin care in the prevention and management of moisture-associated skin damage

The harmful effects of excessive moisture on a patient’s skin are well known. While traditionally considered an issue only encountered in continence care and older people, it is now recognised that the harmful effects of excessive moisture can occur across the lifespan and in various patient groups. The term ‘moisture-associated skin damage’ describes the spectrum of inflammatory damage that occurs in response to the prolonged exposure of a patient’s skin to perspiration, urine, faeces or wound exudate. It is generally accepted that moisture-associated skin damage consists of four conditions: incontinence-associated dermatitis, intertrigo, peristomal moisture-associated dermatitis, and periwound moisture-associated dermatitis. This article describes the aetiologies of each of the different types of moisture-associated skin damage, and outlines the nursing interventions required for their prevention and management.

Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11314

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Correspondence

david.voegeli1@outlook.com

Conflict of interest

None declared

Voegeli D (2019) Prevention and management of moisture-associated skin damage. Nursing Standard. doi: 10.7748/ns.2019.e11314

Published online: 24 January 2019

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