Foam tape is commonly used in the emergency department as a dressing over chest tubes owing to its occlusive and compressible properties. There is a paucity of data regarding the incidence of significant cutaneous reactions to this material. The investigators conducted a prospective trial to evaluate the incidence of dermatitis following application of foam tape to the upper arm of a cohort of healthy volunteers.

This was a prospective, interventional trial. The investigators enrolled a cohort of consenting, healthy physicians, nurses, and ancillary staff at a teaching facility who did not have known hypersensitivity to foam tape. Study investigators applied a 2x2 inch piece of 3M micro-foam adhesive to the medial aspect of each subject's upper arm. The contralateral arm served as a reference for comparison. The adhesive remained in place for 48 hours and the study authors assessed patients utilizing the previously validated Cutaneous Irritancy Scoring System (CISS). Categorical variables analyzed by chi-square, continuous variables with t-tests.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Age 18 - 70
• No reported history of dermatologic conditions
• No active dermatologic lesions
• Able to provide written consent to participation in the study.
• Resident and/or ancillary staff

Exclusion Criteria:

• Hospitalized patients
• Adults unable to consent.
• Prisoners
• Adults with anaphylaxis to medical adhesives