Efficacy of a Moisture-Wicking, Silver-Impregnated Textile in Hospitalized Patients With Intertriginous Dermatitis (ITD): A Single-Case Experiment.

Abstract

Purpose: The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of a moisture-wicking textile impregnated with ionic silver to treat intertriginous dermatitis (ITD) in hospitalized patients using within-participant comparisons of ITD signs and symptoms, and to describe nurses' evaluations of the textile.

Design: Single-case experimental.

Participants and setting: In this case, the single case comprised a group of adults with ITD hospitalized in a 237-bed, mixed acute care/acute rehabilitation, Magnet-designated hospital in the mid-Atlantic region of the US.

Methods: An assessment tool was developed for data collection, and inter-rater reliability was established. Following baseline assessment, including photographs of the affected skin area, the textile was placed. Each participant was evaluated daily for up to 5 days to assess signs and symptoms of ITD, and photographs were taken of each affected area. Nurses caring for study participants were subsequently asked to evaluate the textile.

Results: Nine of the 10 participants had usable data; evaluation is based on these participants. All 9 showed significant improvements in skin damage (P = .0011), satellite lesions (P = .02), exudate (P = .0037), odor (P = .012), moisture (P = .0006), and erythema (P = .0002). No significant improvement in pain intensity was reported (P = .17). The textile was reported as "easy or very easy to use" by 29/30 (97%) of nurses who provided evaluations.

Conclusions: The outcomes of this study suggest that the textile is effective for the management of ITD in hospitalized patients. Nurses evaluated the textile as easy to use. Among the lessons learned is the need for continued education to promote consistent and appropriate textile use to maintain beneficial outcomes.