Do you use powder on your patients?

[mamaof3]

I am a first year nursing student. The other day one of our instructers informed us to never ever put powder on a patient. She said if they asked us to, we should inform them that we won't do it. Then let them know how bad it is for their skin. Today we had another instructor encourage us to use powder. She said it won't harm patients as long as their skin is dry and it works great to freshen them up. Do you use powder in your health care facility? Do you find it beneficial or harmful? Just looking for opinions from you more experienced nurses out there. Thanks

[cjkes78]

I am not an experienced nurse, but I was taught in my CNA class not to use powder in the perineal area. I don't remeber the reason but I don't recall the instructor telling us not to use powder on other areas of the skin.

[RedBait]

I work in ICU where most of my patients are on several high powered antibiotics (gorillacillin) and their natural flora is pretty much gone which makes them susceptible to yeast infection. Powder is starch. Yeast eat starch. I don't use powder.

[talaxandra]

Talc usage is associated with ovarian cancer (I think the mecahnism is that it acts as irritant, but I may be wrong). I have numerous times seen patients caked in powder, particularly in skin folds, and they clearly haven't been appropriately washed in days. That said I often rub a little powder on the backs of bed-bound patients, and sometimes a little under the breasts/pecs of my larger patients.

[CoffeeRTC, BSN, RN]

No...not in LTC...a few of the residents might use their own powder, but its not used by the staff. Some staff thinks powder or perfume = they smell better so not bathe is needed :angryfire . Rarely we get an order for nystantin powder for groin or breast areas...and occasionally I might use it sparingly on the sheets or back (intact skin) to reduce friction and shear.

[zambezi, BSN, RN]

I admit it...I am a powder user. I usually use it on bedbound type patients on their backs or under their breasts/skin rolls/armpit areas...I haven't seen any problems thus far, however, I have never looked into it--mabye I should!!

If the perineal/groin area (or other areas)is looking reddened/yeasty, we usually use nystatin powder...

[Dirk]

Hello !

Sorry - my nursing-english is not very good - but I try !

I never use powder on my patients for skin-care.

I have very often seen powder on wounds. This is a special problem, because powder make the wound-ground dry, and the granulation is disturbed (please give me a nursing-english-dictionary).

After cleaning the wound, you have remainers of the powder left.

Everything, you make with powder, you can make in an other way - even as good.

Greetings

DIrk

[Sadie04]

Sometimes I use it on bedpans so they don't stick to the patient's skin. My facility also uses Nystatin for skin folds. I remember in peds they told us not to use it on infants because they could inhale it.

[Bekahlynn]

I work in a MSICU as a student, and if the pts are on the vent, we are not supposed to use powder for respiratory reasons. If they are intubated or trached, we will sometimes use some on the bedpad or chux. As another poster already stated, we too use it on bedpads. Nystantin is sometimes prescribed for groin and breast areas. We also sometimes use it after bathing on women who have large pendulous breasts. Personally I cannot stand it, I always end up snorting or eating some of it. :rotfl: Means the pt does too, IMO.:uhoh21:

Bekahlynn

[Jen2]

We were taught to never use powder due to resp reasons and allergies. They taught us in nursing school to use a very light dusting of corn starch for bedpans. I dunno, I've never had a pt ask me to use it on them and the hospitals in my area do not carry it.

[veteranRN]

I've never used powder because of the potential respiratory effects. Also, I have to agree that I've seen some awfully thick, moist, cheesy, smelly white stuff in abdominal folds to know that powder does not belong there unless air can circulate.:uhoh21: OK, I'll quit with the visuals.

[obeyacts2]

I am not an experienced nurse, but I was taught in my CNA class not to use powder in the perineal area. I don't remeber the reason but I don't recall the instructor telling us not to use powder on other areas of the skin.

I was taught this as an aide also. I remember, long ago that our agency used to send out newsletter-type updates on various topics and talcum powder was one of them. The rationale is that is older ladies, there is a statistical correlation between powders and ovarian CA. I dont use it and if one of my female homecare pts does, I try to discourage its' use. If a male pt wants to use it, I will if they request.

Laura