Aged Care Skin Tear Prevention Program egopharm.com/professionals
Skin Tears The Economics A skin tear is a wound that results in the separation of skin layers due to shearing and friction forces or blunt trauma 1 Skin tears are common in elderly patients, especially those over 75 years of age and those dependant on others for care 1 The skin of older people is typically thinner, as well as becoming drier with reduced sebaceous and sweat gland activity 1 Dry skin in the elderly can be exacerbated by bathing, the use of alkaline soaps and certain medications (eg. anti-inflammatories) 1 Skin tears can lead to: ulcers 2 prolonged hospital stays infection 1 distress for patients and families 1 The most common causes of skin tears 1 Blunt trauma Falls Daily living activities Dressing/treatment related Patient transfer Equipment injury
The economic impact of skin tears Apart from the pain and distress that skin tears cause, they can be expensive to treat Treatment can be lengthy, requiring daily wound dressing changes and care The estimated cost per patient to treat chronic wounds is $10,000 per year in Australia 3 Annual chronic wound care costs in Australia 3 $ 2.85 Billion direct costs to hospitals and aged care facilities in 2010/11
Skin tear prevention studies Two Australian trials have been conducted by the Wound Management Innovation CRC (part of the Australian Government s Department of Industry and Science Co-operative Research Centres program) Trial 1 Western Australia 4 984 aged care residents from 14 facilities, divided into intervention (n=420) and control (n=564) groups Residents in intervention group received twice-daily application of moisturiser on their arms and legs Residents in control group received ad hoc or no standardised skin moisturising regimen Average monthly incidence rate per 1,000 occupied bed days Control Group 10.57 Intervention (Moisturiser) Group 5.76** 45% REDUCTION 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 **p=0.004 A total of 1396 skin tears on 424 residents were recorded during the study.
Trial 2 Queensland 5 430 patients aged over 65 years who were hospitalised All patients received twice-daily application of moisturiser (QV Skin Lotion) on their arms and legs Incidence of skin tears was compared to data from an incidence survey from the hospital 45 % Reduction in skin tear patients 51 % Reduction in skin tears
Ageing skin Young skin Ageing skin Hypodermis Dermis Epidermis Organised collagen fibres Vascular Tissue Smoothing of Epidermal/dermal junction Reduced vascular tissue Hypodermis Dermis Epidermis atrophy atrophy Disorganisation and loss of collagen fibres Skin becomes wrinkly due to reduced elastin (elastic tissue), which makes the skin hang loosely 6 Skin appears more transparent because the epidermis (surface layer) gets thinner 6 Skin is more fragile due to a smoothing of the junction between the epidermis and dermis (central layer) 6 Skin bruises more easily because the blood vessel walls become thinner 6
How QV Gentle Wash and Skin Lotion help prevent tears in ageing skin In addition to using a moisturiser that contains humectants twice-daily, a ph neutral, soap free cleanser can also reduce the risk of skin tears. 1,7 1. Cleanse with QV Gentle Wash Ingredients: Aqua (water), Glycerin, Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, Disodium cocoamphodiacetate, Lauryl betaine, Sodium cocoyl isethionate, Acrylates / C10 30 alkyl acrylate crosspolymer, Styrene / Acrylates copolymer, Aminomethyl propanol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben. 15% Glycerin ph balanced 2. Moisturise with QV Skin Lotion twice-daily Ingredients: Aqua (water), Glycerin, Petrolatum, C12-15 alkyl benzoate, Cetearyl alcohol, ceteareth-20, Steareth-2, Dimethicone, Glyceryl stearate, Methylparaben, Propylparaben, Dichlorobenzyl alcohol, Polyacrylic acid, Triethanolamine. Free from Designed to ph balanced Free from fragrance, colour, lanolin and propylene glycol cleanse the skin without drying Low-irritant formulation fragrance, colour, lanolin and propylene glycol Benefits for patients: Non-drying Low irritation potential Suitable for patients with eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis, dry and very dry skin Non-soap surfactants foam and clean effectively without drying Added humectant, glycerin, helps hydrate the skin Light, non-greasy lotion Benefits for patients: Helps seal in natural moisture by acting as a protective barrier Triple moisturising action Suitable for patients with eczema, dermatitis, psoriasis and dry skin Helps prevent and relieve dry skin
For further information, Prevention Program tools or to order QV Skin Lotion and QV Gentle Wash, please contact your Ego Representative on 1800 033 706. References: 1. LeBlanc K, Baranoski S for the Skin Tear Consensus Panel. Skin tears: state of the science: consensus statements for the prevention, prediction, assessment, and treatment of skin tears. Adv Skin Wound Care 2011; 24 (9, Suppl.): 2 15. 2. Wound CRC delivers a 50% reduction in skin tears [Internet]. 2013 [cited 2015 July 23]. Available from: http://www.woundcrc.com/documents/ WMICRC_infosheet_skintears.pdf 3. Wound Management Innovation CRC Annual Report 2012 2013 [Internet] [cited 2015 Mar 5]. Available from: http://www.woundcrc.com/ documents/wmi%20crc%20fy%2012-13%20annual%20report.pdf 4. Carville K, Leslie G, Osseiran-Moisson R, Newall N, Lewin G. The effectiveness of a twice-daily skin-moisturising regimen for reducing the incidence of skin tears. Int Wound J. 2014; 11 (4): 446 453. 5. Finch K. Skin tear prevention in patients over 65 years of age in a hospital setting. Podium Presentation. 10th Australian Wound Management Association Conference; 2014 May 7 10; Brisbane, Australia. 6. WebMD. The Effects of Aging on Skin [Internet] 2012. [cited 2015 September 21]. Available from www.webmd.com/beauty/aging/cosmeticprocedures-aging-skin 7. Kottner J, Lichterfeld A, Blume-Peytavi U. Maintaining skin integrity in the aged: a systematic review. Br J Dermatol 2013; 169 (3): 528 542. EGO PHARMACEUTICALS PTY LTD 21 31 Malcolm Road, Braeside 3195 Australia australia +61 3 9586 8800 toll free 1800 033 706 Ego and QV are trademarks of Ego Pharmaceuticals Pty Ltd in Australia and other countries. 2016 Ego. ask@egopharm.com www.egopharm.com SAP82316 EGO0532