要介護高齢者に対する入浴直後のワセリン塗布による保湿効果持続性の調査

The Effect of Using Vaseline after Bathing on Bedridden Older Adults

抄録

　本研究の目的は，要介護高齢者に対する入浴直後のワセリン塗布による保湿効果持続性を明らかにすることである．入院患者51人を対象として，入浴前日，入浴1日目，2日目，3日目の前腕と下腿の角質水分量を，携帯型皮膚水分計を用いて測定した．本機器は25以上が十分な水分量を示す．入浴前日の測定値25以上を非乾燥群，25未満を乾燥群として各群の4日間の推移を分析した．前腕と下腿の非乾燥群は，ワセリン塗布前から十分な水分量を維持していたため保湿効果は不明であった．前腕の乾燥群は，1日目の水分量が有意に増加し，3日目には十分な水分量まで増加していた．下腿の乾燥群は，1日目と2日目の角質水分量が有意に増加したが十分な水分量には届かなかった．以上から，要介護高齢者に対する入浴直後のワセリン塗布は，前腕と下腿の非乾燥群に対しての保湿効果は不明であった．また，前腕の乾燥群に対しては3日間の保湿効果持続性が期待でき，下腿の乾燥群に対しては十分な保湿効果が認められなかった．

　This study sought to clarify the persistence of the moisturizing effects of applying Vaseline for older adults immediately after bathing. Fifty-one hospitalized patients' forearm and lower leg stratum corneum hydration were measured on the day before bathing and the first, second, and third day of bathing. The stratum corneum hydration was measured by Mobile Moisture HP10-N^®, in which 25 or more indicates sufficient water content. Changes were analyzed over 4 days, with a measured value of ≥25 for the non-dry group and ＜25 for the dry group. As a result, sufficient water content was maintained in the non-dry forearm and lower leg groups, but the moisturizing effects were unclear because there was no difference in the measured values before and after the Vaseline application. In the dry forearm group, water content increased significantly the first day and increased to a sufficient level the third day. In the dry lower leg group, the first and second days, stratum corneum hydration increased significantly, but water content was insufficient. Regarding Vaseline application to elderly persons immediately after bathing, these results indicate that the moisturizing effects on the non-dry forearm and lower leg groups were unclear. Moreover, the moisturizing effects persisted for 3 days in the dry forearm group but were insufficient for the dry lower leg group.