Skin function parameters in intensive-care patients.
OBJECTIVE
The study was performed to investigate the transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and pH-value in patients in intensive care.


METHODS
Forty intensive-care patients (22 men, 18 women) were included in the study. TEWL and pH-values were measured at admission, and after 24, 96 and 168 h. The areas of measurement were the forehead, the volar forearm, paraumbilical and the ventral thigh. The measurements were made under standardized environmental conditions according to the recommendations of the EMCO Group.


RESULTS
Elevated values were found on the forehead compared with the other skin areas examined. There was no significant change in mean TEWL-values in any patient in the course of the study. There was also no significant influence of TEWL at the time of admission on the prognosis. The course analysis of the mean pH-values, however, showed that patients who developed a systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) or sepsis during the further course had a higher pH-value over the entire study period.


CONCLUSIONS
TEWL and the pH of the skin surface could be measured at bedside in the intensive-care unit and delivered reproducible results. These parameters appear, however, to be relevant only for subgroups of patients under intensive care.
Fischer
Matthias
M
Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany. matthias.fischer@medizin.uni-halle.de
Donath
Christian
C
Radke
Joachim
J
Marsch
Wolfgang Ch
WCh
Soukup
Jens
J
D003422:Critical Care / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment / Q000379:methods; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012867:Skin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014018:Tissue Distribution; D014867:Water / Q000378:metabolism*; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance
D014867:Water