Powder use & Skin Breakdown

[HBgirl]

I was wondering how many of you use baby powder on patient's skin between skin folds? I was taught in my CNA program and when trained at the hospital to use baby powder to prevent friction when two skin surfaces rub together and to absorb moisture? I am a BSN student who is half-way through my program and found out today that powder should not be used because there is a correlation between it and skin breakdown. This is the first time I have ever heard this and was questioned by my instructor to what facility I work at. I have been educated to use cautiously with patients with respiratory issues, but that is about it. So does this also apply to Nystatin/Nystop? My instructor also said baby powder is to not to be used on babies. I'm so confused. Can someone elaborate?

[BittyBabyGrower, MSN, RN]

We never use powder on babies, it can cause respiratory issues from the talc and silica in the powder.

I don't keep up to much on the adult skin world but I know our hospital discourages powder use.

[Julesmama28]

We use it occasionally in the icu, usually just in the armpits or under a sweaty BP cuff after a bath...it helps keep the smell and moisture under control.

RN BSN

[Missingyou, CNA]

There is one resident I care for that uses baby powder under her breasts and belly folds between orders for Nystatin. The nurses I work under prefer we don't use the baby powder anywhere on the resident's body with the exception of this one person who requests it.

[Whispera, MSN, RN]

When powder gets wet, it clumps. Then it's a great medium for microbes to enjoy...

[Valcorie34, BSN, MSN, RN]

During my CNA training and at work at a LTC facility it was strongly encourages in folds that had moisture as well. I am in a nursing program as well now and I like the question you posed. Can you post a link to the article you read about powder use and skin break down? I would love to explore that a bit myself.

[srnaky, CNA]

I don't like to use baby powder because there is a link between that and cancer, or so I read. I

[CamillusRN, BSN]

In my CVICU, we use baby powder pretty sparingly. A lot of our patients have some sort of respiratory deficit, and the powder can worsen the situation if inhaled. Also, I never use it for incontinent patients (much to the disapproval of some of the patients, families, and certain other nurses). I use it as a teaching moment to talk about how powders can adhere to areas of breakdown and irritate them even more, or worse predispose the area to infection (see Whispera's comment). I'll generally use an anti-fungal cream or simple moisture barrier instead, with much better outcomes.

[hookyarnandblanket]

We use it all over but the skin folds. If the folds are inflamed, we use Baza cream, Lotrisone, or whatever has been ordered.

If the patient has severe breakdown in the folds, nurses will apply 4x4s after the cream treatments to help absorb and they change them q shift.

[verene, MSN]

We use baby powder and nystatin powders all the time. I wonder if the study explores how frequently the old powder is cleaned up and new powder applied as part of skin breakdown? We apply it lightly and use damp cloth to remove old powder, dry the skin and apply new powder a minimum of once per shift (3x day). We also will use soft pillow cases for some skin folds if powder is not appropriate for the patient.

Could you link the article on the use of baby powder and skin break down? I'd like to read it and maybe discuss this issue with some of the higher ups at work if baby powder is a contributing factor to skin breakdown.