Preventive skin care

Recommendations

1. Avoid positioning the individual on an area of erythema whenever possible.
   Erythema indicates that the body has not recovered from the previous loading and requires further respite from repeated loading.

2. Keep the skin clean and dry.

   1. Use a pH balanced skin cleanser.

3. Do not massage or vigorously rub skin that is at risk of pressure ulcers.
   As well as being painful, friction massage can cause mild tissue destruction or provoke inflammatory reactions, particularly in frail older adults.

4. Develop and implement an individualized continence management plan.

   1. Cleanse the skin promptly following episodes of incontinence

5. Protect the skin from exposure to excessive moisture with a barrier product in order to reduce the risk of pressure damage.
   It is important to note that skin damage from moisture is not a pressure ulcer, but that presence of skin damage from moisture may increase the risk of pressure ulceration.

6. Consider using a skin moisturizer to hydrate dry skin in order to reduce risk of skin damage.

   1. Do not use dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) cream for the prevention of pressure ulcers.

   Caution: DMSO cream is not approved for use on humans in US, but is sometimes used as a topical application in other countries.