title: The influence of incontinence on the characteristic properties of the skin in bedridden elderly subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The mechanisms of skin breakdown induced by incontinence have been proposed from a variety of experimental studies. However, studies on the influence of skin properties caused by incontinence of bedridden subjects are very limited.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This work was conducted to reveal how incontinence influences skin properties by comparing bedridden incontinent elderly subjects with age-matched healthy continent elderly and middle-aged subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Bedridden incontinent elderly subjects (n = 35, 83.5 ± 9.7 years, mean age ± SD), healthy continent elderly (n = 41, 75.9 ± 5.6 years), and middle-aged (n = 20, 41.3 ± 2.8 years) were recruited for this study. Skin surface pH, capacitance/hydration, transepidermal water loss, and bacteria on forearm and buttock skin were measured.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hydration and transepidermal water loss values between healthy elderly subjects and incontinent elderly subjects were significantly different on buttock skin. Significant differences between those two groups were also observed regarding pH and total bacteria levels on buttock skin. The forearm skin showed no significant difference in these parameters. No significant influence was observed between with and without urination at the measurement time except for the pH of buttock skin. No significant correlation was observed except between pH and bacteria levels on buttock skin of incontinent elderly subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, we clarified the characteristic features of skin induced by incontinence. Our results indicate that these parameters are adequate not only to evaluate the characteristic skin features of bedridden incontinent subjects but also to develop new diapers to avoid the diaper dermatitis caused by incontinence.
authors.affiliation: Biological Science Research, Kao Corporation, Haga, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fujimura
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Medical Corporation, Saijyo Central Hospital, Saijyo, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Makino
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Medical Corporation, Saijyo Central Hospital, Saijyo, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Medical Corporation, Saijyo Central Hospital, Saijyo, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Maki
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Medical Corporation, Saijyo Central Hospital, Saijyo, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Emiko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Murakami
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Medical Corporation, Saijyo Central Hospital, Saijyo, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tasaka
authors.affiliation: Biological Science Research, Kao Corporation, Haga, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Biological Science Research, Kao Corporation, Haga, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akiba
authors.affiliation: Biological Science Research, Kao Corporation, Haga, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hotta
authors.affiliation: Biological Science Research, Kao Corporation, Haga, Tochigi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kitahara
authors.affiliation: Department of Nursing, Medical Corporation, Saijyo Central Hospital, Saijyo, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Kikue
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ando
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002081:Buttocks; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007103:Immobilization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012867:Skin / Q000382:microbiology*; D012879:Skin Physiological Phenomena; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000150:complications*; D014870:Water Loss, Insensible