A Quality Improvement Approach to Perineal Skin Care Using Standardized Guidelines and Novel Diaper Wipes to Reduce Diaper Dermatitis in NICU Infants

摘要: Background: Diaper dermatitis (DD) causes discomfort and emotional distress and creates possible sources of infection among newborn intensive care unit infants. Diaper dermatitis remains prevalent despite studies documenting an understanding of prevention and treatment modalities. Standardizing perineal skin care guidelines could reduce DD. Purpose: Implement perineal skin care guidelines, while introducing novel diaper wipes, to decrease the incidence of DD by 20% within a 1-year period. Methods: Our unit reviewed evidence-based literature to develop a standardized perineal care guideline for prevention and treatment, encompassing the use of novel, preservative-free diaper wipes with grapefruit seed extract. The outcome measures were the incidence and duration of DD. Process compliances were monitored. The balancing measure was the rate of fungal skin infection while using preservative-free …