Verification of the relation between daily dressing change and skin barrier function on periwound skin of sacral pressure ulcers through an intervention study

Abstract

　　The purpose of this study was to verify the influence of skin barrier function due to daily dressing changes conducted by nurses for sacral pressure ulcers. Subjects were twenty-eight patients（10 males and 18 females）aged over 65 and above with sacral pressure ulcers of stageⅡ～Ⅳcontaining exudate. One group, consisting of 14 patients, used gauze, and another group, also with 14 patients, used modern wound dressings. Transepidermal water loss（TEWL）was measured to verify the periwound skin barrier function. In the gauze group, the nurse observed the gauze 4 times a day, and if exudate contamination reached the periwound area, the gauze was changed. In the modern wound dressing group, the dressing application was either shortened or the daily dressing change was increased infreguency. Care intervention was conducted for 6 days. TEWL was measured at the beginning, on the third day and on the 6th day. In conclusion, after care intervention, the periwound skin function improved on the 6th day compared to initial treatment for both the gauze and modern wound dressing groups（p<0.05）.