Barrier creams for skin breakdown

Debbie Flynn and Sally Williams examine how moisture and pressure can cause skin to break down, how barrier creams can help the skin to heal and a new barrier system. Nurses have a major role to play in assessing and preventing skin breakdown. It is essential to risk assess all patients to identify those most likely to be vulnerable. Incontinence poses particular risk factors as both urine and faeces have detrimental effects on the skin. This can lead to incontinence associated dermatitis (IAD) and pressure ulceration. The differentiation between IAD and pressure damage is often very challenging for nurses but it is imperative for nurses to make the correct diagnosis to ensure appropriate treatment and care. Skin care is a basic nursing skill. However, with the ever challenging focus on the profession being evidence-based, it can be very difficult for nurses to determine the best skin care regime for their patients. Good robust evidence is lacking in this area of care. With the plethora of skin care products available, it is essential that nurses are well informed of their benefits and risks to enable them to discuss the options with their patients and make the right choices. This article informs readers about the components of the ideal skin care regime using the best available evidence identified through searching the British Nursing Index, CINAHL and Medline. This article will also identify the components, risk factors and benefits of skin care routines. It will give a brief update on the basic function of the skin, what can go wrong and lead to breakdown, incontinence associated dermatitis and other skin conditions. It will also describe nine case studies using a new product to the UK.