PRODUCT FOCUS: CLEANING & HYGIENE
WIPE OUT TRANSMISSION
Yvonne Carter, Clinical Director at GAMA Healthcare and previously Head of Infection Control at Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, looks at how waterless bathing products have the potential to help nurses reduce the risk of passing on an infection.
For both nurses and carers, helping patients with their personal hygiene and bathing are essential components in quality of life and quality of care. Bathing has been argued to have a strong effect on patient wellbeing and patient comfort.
For immobile patients, sometimes, a body wash in bed is the only option. Traditionally, the bed bath is performed with water and soap. However, alternatives are increasingly used in health care. Washing without water is one such alternative that has been claimed to provide several advantages, such as improved hygiene and skin condition.
In practice, it is fast, minimises discomfort and results in less mess. A few studies have been carried out assessing traditional bathing against washing without water and there is moderate to high-quality evidence suggesting that washing without water is a worthy alternative to traditional bathing. In two studies, nursing staff have significantly preferred washing without water over traditional bathing. Further research into costs outcomes will need to be conducted to substantiate if there are overall financial advantages of washing without water.
Built on the experience from GAMA’s founders, the Carell wipes are an easy-to-use bathing solution to clean, moisturise and refresh. Delivering a full body wash in a single product and no need to spend time gathering supplies. They contain aloe vera and active moisturisers to promote healthy skin. They're dermatologically tested, alcohol, lanolin and paraben free with a patented skin-pH neutral formula.
SPEED AND EFFICIENCY
Wipes replace the need for traditional cumbersome patient cleansing methods which include preparing bowls, washcloths, soap, lotions and water. They require no towel drying which decreases waste, increases staff compliance and may save money. The main outcomes of the wipes in practice were for nurses and patients, undertaking a time in motion study comparing traditional bed bathing with waterless bathing in elderly care wards. The study found that staff saved 40 minutes whilst delivering care to six patients.
PATIENT COMFORT AND PREFERENCE
In the previously mentioned study, not only was operational efficiency associated with waterless bathing, but they also found that the experience was preferred by patients and improved practice of staff undertaking whole body bed bathing due to the simple one pack one person formulation.
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The drying time for the wipes is minimal, reducing the need for abrasive towelling, whilst the wipes themselves are soſt. A study evaluating the prevalence of skin abnormalities in waterless versus traditional bathing showed that the prevalence of skin abnormalities decreased over time in the waterless bathing group, whilst in the traditional bed bath group, skin abnormality prevalence increased. Another study showed a significant difference in skin dryness, favouring the waterless group.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25173772/ https://bmcgeriatr.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12877-017-0425-4 INFECTION PREVENTION
Carell wipes also remove the risk of microorganism transmission associated with wash bowl contamination, risks from reusing washbowls between patients, non-drying of washbowls or less than effective decontamination between washbowl uses. This reduces the associated risk of liſting and carry heavy bowls of water and the risk of spills and potential falls. Improved patient cleanliness reduces the number of microorganisms present to transfer to healthcare workers, visitors and the environment.
The wipes are designed for use on each area of the body and can be used and disposed of safely, breaking the chain of transmission via bath basins. Once waterless bathing has been completed, wipes can be resealed in their original packaging and safely disposed of. This reduces the risk of outbreaks and HCAIs associated with drainage systems.
A randomised trial into the cost-consequence of washing without water revealed there is no difference in costs verses traditional bed bathing, making waterless washing the more efficient alternative.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25173772/ https://gamahealthcare.com/carell
www.tomorrowscare.co.uk
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