Urinary and fecal incontinence and can be a serious problem for people who are bed ridden or who have limited mobility and are confined to a wheelchair or who suffer from dementia.
Both of these conditions can create rashes that can irritate the skin and cause mild discomfort to extremely painful experiences.
Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) affects over 40% of people in long term care facilities.
Managing this condition requires a plan that will keep the skin clean and dry.
There are a variety of products that can be used but the real solution is to determine the underlying conditions that are creating the incontinence in the first place.
Determining those causes and then treating them is the best long term defense against IAD.
What causes the rash associated with IAD? Both forms of incontinence can bring about the conditions that can attack the skin and cause an infection.
Urinary incontinence can bring excessive moisture which attacks the ph balance of the skin and leaves it vulnerable for infection.
A fecal continence problem brings the skin into contact with harmful bacteria that can compromise the skin's defense system and bring on a painful secondary infection.
The longer the skin is exposed to these threats the more likely an infection will occur.
Even cleaning the area can be a problem.
If not done promptly, the friction caused by cleaning can upset the ph balance and create a problem.
Over a third of patients that are hospitalized will experience this condition and the key is prompt attention by staff and treating the underlying causes.
Often there simply isn't enough staff to go around to do this effectively.
How to minimize the risk of IAD As mentioned, prompt care and treatment of the cause of incontinence are important in reducing the skin's exposure to IAD.
However there are a number of products that can be used that can help manage the situation.
Incontinence pants, particularly for fecal incontinence can go a long way in the skin being in contact with harmful bacteria.
Pads are effective to absorb excess urine and keep the skin dry.
Skin barriers, moisturizers and pH specific cleansers are also tools that are available to the care givers.
The use of quality products that can wick away moisture and keep the skin dry and clean is the best way to prevent an infection from occurring.
Urinary and fecal incontinence can be a serious health problem for those who are hospitalized or have limited mobility.
Care givers should be aware of the options they have available to control this condition.